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Mass, Weight and Gravity

Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the gravitational force exerted on an object. An object's mass stays the same regardless of location, but its weight changes depending on the strength of gravity. On Earth, gravity exerts a force of about 10 newtons per kilogram of mass, while on the Moon gravity is weaker at around 1.6 newtons per kilogram. For example, a 5 kg object would weigh 50 newtons on Earth but only 8 newtons on the Moon. Mass resists changes in motion, so a more massive object requires a greater force to change its motion.

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Syed Wajahat Ali
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232 views1 page

Mass, Weight and Gravity

Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the gravitational force exerted on an object. An object's mass stays the same regardless of location, but its weight changes depending on the strength of gravity. On Earth, gravity exerts a force of about 10 newtons per kilogram of mass, while on the Moon gravity is weaker at around 1.6 newtons per kilogram. For example, a 5 kg object would weigh 50 newtons on Earth but only 8 newtons on the Moon. Mass resists changes in motion, so a more massive object requires a greater force to change its motion.

Uploaded by

Syed Wajahat Ali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Mass, Weight and Gravity

It might seem a bit odd, but it’s true — mass and weight are not the same thing.
The difference between them is all thanks to the force of gravity...

Weight and Mass are Different Things


To understand this you must learn all these facts about mass and weight:
Y
KE M
R
Weight is a gravitational force, measured in newtons.
TE

1) For an object on or near Earth, the weight of the object is the


gravitational force pulling it towards the centre of the Earth.
2) Mass is not a force. It is just the amount of ‘stuff’ in an object and it is measured in kilograms.
3) An object has the same mass whether it’s on Earth or on the Moon — but its weight will be different.
A 1 kg mass will weigh less on the Moon (about 1.6 N) than it does on Earth
(about 10 N), simply because the force of gravity pulling on it is less.
4) The weight that a mass experiences is due to it being
in a gravitational field. So if the gravitational field strength (g) sing a
ca n b e measured u
S

We ig ht alance.
changes, the weight of the mass will change. r or spring b
newton mete
measured
5) You can compare the weight of two objects using a balance Mass can be
alance
(an old-fashioned pair of balancing scales). The object with on a mass b

the greater weight will also have the greater mass.

The Very Important Formula Relating Mass, Weight and Gravity

weight (N) = mass (kg) × gravitational field strength (N/kg) W = mg

The letter “g” represents the strength of the gravity and its value is different for different planets.
On Earth g ª 10 N/kg. On the Moon, where the gravity is weaker, g is only about 1.6 N/kg.

Calculate the weight, in newtons, of a 5 kg mass,


M PLE
EXA both on Earth and on the Moon.

1) On Earth, g ≈ 10 N. W =mg = 5 × 10 = 50 N
2) On the Moon, g = 1.6 N. W = mg = 5 × 1.6 = 8 N

Mass Resists Changes in Motion

1) Objects tend to continue in the same state of motion


Supplement

Supplement

unless they are acted on by a resultant force (see page 9).


2) So objects at rest will stay at rest, and objects moving at a steady speed will continue moving
at that speed in a straight line, if there is no resultant force acting on them.
3) Mass is a property that ‘resists’ a change in motion. So an object with a greater mass will require
a larger resultant force to change its motion at the same rate as an object with less mass (see page 11).

Weight is dependent on gravity — mass is not...

In everyday life, people tend to talk about their body “weight” in kg


but that’s actually their body mass.
Section 1 — General Physics: Forces and Motion

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