1.3 Mass and Weight

Question 1

What is weight?

Answer 1

Weight is the gravitational force exerted on an object that has mass. It depends on the mass of the object and the gravitational field strength of the planet or celestial body the object is on.
Weight = Mass × Gravitational field strength (g)

Question 2

What is mass?

Answer 2

Mass is a measure of the quantity of matter in an object. It is the same regardless of the object’s location and is measured relative to the observer, usually when the object is at rest.

Question 3

What is gravitational field strength?

Answer 3

Gravitational field strength is the force per unit mass experienced by an object in a gravitational field.
It is calculated as:
Gravitational field strength (g) = Force / Mass

Question 4

What is the relationship between gravitational field strength and acceleration of free fall?

Answer 4

Gravitational field strength is equivalent to the acceleration of free fall near the Earth’s surface.
At Earth’s surface, both are approximately 9.8 m/s².
This means the gravitational force on an object causes it to accelerate at 9.8 m/s² when in free fall.

Question 5

What is the unit of gravitational field strength?

Answer 5

The unit of gravitational field strength is Newtons per kilogram (N/kg).
It represents the force (in Newtons) acting on an object with a mass of 1 kilogram in a gravitational field.

Question 6

How can weight and mass be compared?

Answer 6

Mass and weight can be compared using a balance.
A balance compares the mass of an object with a known reference mass.
However, weight cannot be directly measured with a balance; it is determined by multiplying the mass by the gravitational field strength.