1. Force due to Gravity (Force of Attraction)
* Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation: The force of attraction between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
* Formula: F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2
* F = force of attraction
* G = gravitational constant (6.674 x 10^-11 N m^2/kg^2)
* m1 = mass of object 1 (in this case, the Earth)
* m2 = mass of object 2 (in this case, the 10.5 kg mass)
* r = distance between the centers of the two objects (approximately the Earth's radius)
Calculating the Force:
* Since the Earth's mass and radius are constant, we can simplify the formula to: F = g * m2
* g = acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s^2)
* F = (9.81 m/s^2) * (10.5 kg)
* F ≈ 103.01 N (Newtons)
2. Weight
* Weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity. It's essentially the same as the force of gravity calculated above.
* Therefore, the weight of the 10.5 kg mass is approximately 103.01 N.
Important Note:
* While weight and force due to gravity are numerically the same in this case, it's crucial to understand the conceptual difference.
* Force is a vector quantity (it has both magnitude and direction), while weight is a scalar quantity (it only has magnitude).
* We generally talk about weight in terms of Newtons (N) or kilograms-force (kgf), but it's important to be aware of the distinction between weight and mass.
