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Oct 17, 2024 · weight, gravitational force of attraction on an object, caused by the presence of a massive second object, such as the Earth or Moon.Weight is a consequence of the universal law of gravitation: any two objects, because of their masses, attract each other with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- The Difference Between Mass and Weight
- Units of Mass and Weight
- Mass vs Weight Activities
- References
There are several differences between mass and weight. Mass is an intrinsic property of matter. It doesn’t change depending on where you measure it. It is a scalar value, which means it has magnitude, but no direction associated with it. The mass of an object is never zero. You measure mass with an ordinary balance on Earth or an inertial balance i...
We measure weight in grams, kilograms, ounces, and pounds. Technically, grams (g) and kilograms (kg) are units of mass. The SI unit of force is the Newton (N), with a 1 kg mass having a force of 9.8 N on Earth. The US unit of force is the pound (lb), while the unit of mass is something called a slug. A pound is the force required to move a 1 slug m...
Weight in an Elevator
One simple activity to see the difference between mass and weight is weighing yourself in an elevator. A digital scale works best because it’s easier to see the change in weight as the elevator ascends (increasing acceleration, which adds to gravity) and descends (negative acceleration, which decreases the effect of gravity). For a classroom activity, first have students weigh themselves (or an object) on a scale and discuss whether the value they obtain is mass, weight, or whether it matters...
Measuring Weight With Rubber Bands
You can compare the weights of objects by hanging them from rubber bands. On Earth, gravity affects a heavier object more than a lighter one and stretches the rubber band further. Predict what will happen when heavy and light objects are suspended from rubber bands on the ISS. What shape will the rubber band take? Do you expect there to be a difference between the way the rubber band responds to a heavy object compared to a light object?
Mass Cars
The easiest way to explore mass on Earth is to conduct experiments that move horizontally rather than vertically. This is because objects can’t change their position from the effect of gravity. Build a “mass car” and use an air pump to accelerate the mass across rollers or a low-friction track. Change the mass of the car, make a prediction about how this will change how far the car rolls, and perform an experimentto test the hypothesis. You can graph the distance the car moves compared to its...
Galili, Igal (2001). “Weight versus Gravitational Force: Historical and Educational Perspectives.” International Journal of Science Education. 23(1): 1073-1093.Gat, Uri. (1988). “The Weight of Mass and the Mess of Weight.” Standardization of Technical Terminology: Principles and Practice. ASTM. 2: 45-48.Hodgman, Charles D., editor. (1961). Handbook of Chemistry and Physics(44th ed.). Chemical Rubber Co. 3480-3485.Knight, Randall Dewey (2004). Physics for Scientists and Engineers: a Strategic Approach. Pearson.Mar 4, 2015 · When being asked for the weight force, it is generally implicitly understood, it's the gravitational force of an object on the earth (or it will be specifically called out on what body and the acceleration due to gravity on that body, e.g. find the weight force of a person of 68 kg mass on the moon which has an acceleration due to gravity of $1.620 \dfrac {m}{s^2}$).
Mar 21, 2023 · Again, F g is the gravitational force, or weight, m is the mass, and g is the acceleration due to gravity, 9.8 m/s 2. Now the relationship between mass and weight becomes clear: weight is a force, whereas mass is how much “stuff” there is. The weight and the mass are related by a factor of g, but are not the same.
The weight of an object may be thought of as acting at a single point called its centre of mass. Depending on the object's shape, its centre of mass can be inside or outside it. Video: Gravity on ...
The gravitational force on an object in the gravitational field of Earth is called the weight of the object. The weight of an object is related to its mass by the following formula: 𝑊 = 𝑚 𝑔 , where 𝑊 is the weight of the object, 𝑚 is the mass of the object, and 𝑔 is the gravitational field strength at the position of the object.
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Weight close weight A force that acts on mass, pulling it down, due to gravity. Weight is a force and forces are measured in ... sometimes called a force meter, to measure the weight of an object too.
