Weight mass and Gravity Flashcards
What is gravitation force?
It is the force of attraction between masses.
Gracvity attracts all masses, anything near a planet or star is attracted to it very strongly. What two important effects does this have?
- On the surface of a planet, it makes all things fall towards the ground.
- It gives everything weight.
What is mass ?
The amount of ‘stuff’ in an object.
What is weight?
Weight is the force acting in an object due to gravity ( the pull of the gravitational force on the object) Close to Earth, this force is caused by the gravitational field around the Earth.
How does gravitational field strength vary with location?
It stronger the closer you are to the mass causing the field, and stronger for larger masses.
What does the weight on an object depend on ?
The strength of the gravitational field at the
location of the object. This means that the weight of an object changes with its location.
Weight is a force measured in ?
Newtons, You can think of the force as acting from a single point on the
object, called its centre of mass.
How is weight measured?
Using a newton meter.
How is mass measured?
In kilograms with a mass balance.
What is the formula for calculating the weight of an object if you know its mass and the strength of the gravitational field?
Weight(N) = Mass (kg) x Gravitational Field strength (N/kg)
How are the mass and weight of an object directionally proportional ?
If you double the mass, the weight doubles too.
