Weight,Mass And Gravity Flashcards
What is a gravitational force?
-a force of attraction that attracts all physical forms having mass
-how strong the attraction is depends on the mass and how far apart the objetcs are
What are the two major effects of gravitational force?
1)On the surface of a planet, it causes all things to fall towards the ground
2)It gives everything a weight
What is mass?
-a measure of the amount of substance in an object.
-It remains the same regardless of location in the universe.
What is weight?
-the force exerted on an object due to gravity
-It varies depending on the strength of the gravitational field at the object’s location.
What are the differences between mass and weight?
-mass is the amount of “stuff” in an object (it is an intrinsic property), while weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity
-mass remains constant, but weight varies with location.
How does gravitational field strength affect weight?
-The stronger the gravitational field, the greater the weight.
-This means that weight changes depending on an object’s location within a gravitational field.
How is weight measured?
using a calibrated spring balance or newtonmeter
Is mass a force?
No, it is a scalar quantity
How is mass measured?
in kilograms using a mass balance
What is the center of mass?
-The center of mass is a point within an object where the mass is equally distributed in all directions.
-It’s often considered as the point through which the force of gravity acts on the object.
What is the equation to find the mass of an object?
The weight and mass of an object are …… proportional?
*directly
- increasing the mass increases the weight, if the weight doubled the mass would double too
