Weight And Mass Flashcards
what is weight
the force of gravity acting on an object
what is mass
the measure of how many atoms in an object
where is the effect of the weight of an object directed towards
the center of the planet it is on (but anything with a large enough gravitational field to give it a weight)
formula for calcuating weight
weight = mass * gravity
gravitational field strength of Earth
10N/kg
what is weight measured in
Newtons (it’s a force)
how do calculate the weight of something
newtons = kg * N/kg (mass x gravitational field strength)
what does 1kg equal in newtons on earth
9.8N
how can the of the same object possibly weight change
if the gravitational field strength changes, like another planet
what is gravitational potential energy
energy and object posses due to its position in a gravitational field
how to calculate the energy an object posses due to its position in a gravitational field
- GPE = KE so i used 5J. (GPE = gravitational potential energy)
- mgh (mass x gravitational field strength x height)
what is the difference between mass and weight
weight can change depending on the gravitational field strength whereas mass has the same value anywhere
why would a 1kg travel a longer distance when thrown with the same force on the moon than on earth
- the moon’s gravitational field strength is smaller due to its smaller size and density
- ball weighs 9.8N on earth whereas it weighs 1.6N on the moon
- ball will be lighter on the moon so the same force causes it to move further
what is the center of mass of an object
the point at which you assume the whole mass is concentrated, which is at the center of the object, if its density is constant through out
what is the relationship between mass and weight
they are directly proportional as an increase in one increases the other
