The measure of how gravity pulls on an object is its weight.
Weight is a force caused by the gravitational pull on a mass. Essentially, it represents how strongly gravity is attracting an object towards the center of a celestial body, such as Earth.
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Weight vs. Mass: It's important to differentiate between weight and mass.
- Mass is a fundamental property of an object and is a measure of the amount of matter it contains. Mass remains constant regardless of location.
- Weight is dependent on gravity. Therefore, an object's weight can change depending on the gravitational field it is in. For instance, an object would weigh less on the Moon than on Earth due to the Moon's weaker gravity.
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Units of Measurement: Weight is a force and is measured in Newtons (N) in the International System of Units (SI). In the English system, it's often measured in pounds (lbs).
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Calculating Weight: Weight can be calculated using the following formula:
Weight (W) = mass (m) * acceleration due to gravity (g)On Earth, the acceleration due to gravity (g) is approximately 9.8 m/s².
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Example: A person with a mass of 70 kg on Earth would have a weight of:
W = 70 kg * 9.8 m/s² = 686 N
In summary, weight provides a quantifiable measure of the gravitational force exerted on an object.
