Here's why:
* Gravity: A fundamental force that attracts any two objects with mass. The more mass an object has, the stronger its gravitational pull.
* Weight: The force exerted on an object due to gravity. It's essentially the gravitational pull of the Earth (or another celestial body) acting on an object.
Key Differences:
* Mass: An intrinsic property of an object that measures the amount of matter it contains. It's a scalar quantity (only magnitude) and stays constant.
* Weight: A force that depends on both the object's mass and the gravitational acceleration. It's a vector quantity (magnitude and direction) and can change based on location.
Formula:
Weight (W) = Mass (m) x Gravitational acceleration (g)
* g is approximately 9.8 m/s² on Earth's surface.
Example:
A person with a mass of 70 kg on Earth would have a weight of:
W = 70 kg x 9.8 m/s² = 686 N (Newtons)
