Understanding Weight and Mass
* Mass is the amount of matter in an object. It's a fundamental property and doesn't change based on location.
* Weight is the force of gravity acting on an object's mass. It depends on both the object's mass and the strength of the gravitational field.
Calculation
1. Newton's Second Law: The relationship between weight (force), mass, and acceleration is described by Newton's Second Law:
* Force (F) = Mass (m) * Acceleration (a)
2. Acceleration due to Gravity: On Earth, the acceleration due to gravity (g) is approximately 9.8 m/s².
3. Solving for Mass:
* We know the weight (F) is 250 N.
* We know the acceleration due to gravity (a) is 9.8 m/s².
* Rearrange the equation: Mass (m) = Force (F) / Acceleration (a)
* Plug in the values: m = 250 N / 9.8 m/s²
* Calculate: m ≈ 25.5 kg
Therefore, the mass of the rock is approximately 25.5 kg.