How are mass and weight related?

How are mass and weight related?

• A. Weight is independent of mass
• B. Weight is the force of gravity on an object, W = mg
• C. Mass and weight are the same quantity
• D. Weight is always constant regardless of location

Answer: (B)

Weight is fundamentally defined as the force of gravity acting on an object's mass. The relationship is encapsulated in the equation \( W = mg \), where \( W \) represents weight, \( m \) stands for mass, and \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity. This equation shows that weight is directly proportional to mass—meaning that if you increase the mass of an object, its weight will also increase accordingly, assuming the gravitational field strength remains constant. In the context of different locations, while mass remains constant regardless of where you are in the universe, weight can vary depending on the strength of the gravitational field at that location. For instance, an object weighs less on the Moon than on Earth due to the Moon's weaker gravitational pull. Understanding this relationship is crucial in mechanics, as it helps to distinguish between mass, a measure of the amount of matter in an object, and weight, which is the gravitational force acting upon that mass. This distinction is essential in various applications in physics, including problems involving free fall, orbits, and other gravitational interactions.

Weight is fundamentally defined as the force of gravity acting on an object's mass. The relationship is encapsulated in the equation ( W = mg ), where ( W ) represents weight, ( m ) stands for mass, and ( g ) is the acceleration due to gravity. This equation shows that weight is directly proportional to mass—meaning that if you increase the mass of an object, its weight will also increase accordingly, assuming the gravitational field strength remains constant.

In the context of different locations, while mass remains constant regardless of where you are in the universe, weight can vary depending on the strength of the gravitational field at that location. For instance, an object weighs less on the Moon than on Earth due to the Moon's weaker gravitational pull.

Understanding this relationship is crucial in mechanics, as it helps to distinguish between mass, a measure of the amount of matter in an object, and weight, which is the gravitational force acting upon that mass. This distinction is essential in various applications in physics, including problems involving free fall, orbits, and other gravitational interactions.