Here's why:
* Force and Mass: Newton's Second Law of Motion tells us that force (F) is equal to mass (m) times acceleration (a): F = ma.
* Gravitational Force: The force of gravity acting on an object near the Earth's surface is approximately constant. We call this force "weight."
* Acceleration due to Gravity: Since the force of gravity is constant, and we know F = ma, then the acceleration caused by gravity (a) is also constant. We denote this acceleration as 'g'.
Therefore, acceleration due to gravity (g) represents the force of gravity per unit mass.
Important Note: The value of 'g' is approximately 9.8 m/s² on Earth's surface. This means that every second, the speed of an object falling freely increases by 9.8 meters per second.
