Mass, Weight and Gravity

MASS

➢ Mass is an amount of matter/substance in a body.

➢ SI unit of mass is kilogram (kg).

➢ Mass can be measured using pan balance, beam balance and electronic balance (Top pan balance).

➢ Mass does not depend upon location, it remain same everywhere.

WEIGHT

➢ Weight is a force due to Earth’s gravitational pull.

➢ SI unit of weight is newton (N).

➢ Weight of an object is measured by spring balance or newton meter.

➢ Weight is a force. Force has a direction. The direction of weight is downwards

➢ Formula W= mg where, W= weight in newton (N),m = mass in kilogram (kg), and g= gravitational field strength in
newton per kilogram (N/kg)

➢ g For Earth = 10 N/kg, For Moon = 1.6 N/kg, For Jupiter = 23- 25 N/kg

➢ Weight of a body varies in different places. It depends on gravitational field strength. More the gravity, more the
weight will be. Larger the planet, more the gravity will be.

➢ More the distance, weaker the gravity will be.

Difference between Mass and Weight

Mass Weight
• Amount of matter in an object • Is a force due to gravitational pull
• S.I unit : kg • S.I unit : N
• Instrument: electronic balance • Instrument: spring balance
• Remains same regardless of location • Changes with location
• It has no direction • Remember weight is a force so it must have a direction too
• Mass cannot be zero • Weight can be zero
Example Question 1

The mass of an object on the Earth is 25 kg. Calculate the weight of the object?

Formula: W= mg

Solution: 25 × 10 = 250 N

Example Question 2

On the Earth, the gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg. On the Moon, the gravitational field strength is 1.6 N/kg.

If an object has a weight of 50 N on Earth, what is its weight on the Moon?

Formula: W = mg

Solution: m = W/g = 50/10 = 5 kg

weight on the moon = mg = 5 × 1.6 =8 N

mass on moon and earth = 5 kg

Gravitational field

➢ Gravitational field is a region around an object where it experiences a force due to gravitational attraction.

➢ Gravitational field on the surface of the Earth is 10 N/kg.

➢ This means that a gravitational force of 10 N is exerted on an object of mass 1 kg.

Weightlessness

A condition where we experience zero gravity.

For Example: Astronauts in space feel weightlessness because there is no gravity