Weight
Definition
Weight refers to the gravitational force acting on an object. It is the measure of how heavy an object is and depends on both the mass of the object and the acceleration due to gravity.
Analogy
Think of weight as your backpack pulling you down when you're climbing up a hill. The heavier your backpack, the stronger the pull (weight) you feel.
Related terms
Mass: The amount of matter in an object, which remains constant regardless of location.
Normal Force: The support force exerted by a surface that prevents an object from falling through it.
Frictional Force: A resistive force that opposes motion when two surfaces are in contact with each other.
"Weight" appears in:
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Additional resources (1)
Practice Questions (5)
- A car drives down a 25 degree incline at a constant speed. The force of friction keeping the car from accelerating is 500N. The weight of the car is approximately...
- A box with a weight of 100 N is at rest on a rough surface. µk = 0.2 and µs = 0.4. How much horizontal force will move the box?
- A horizontal, uniform board of weight 125 N and length 4 m is supported by vertical chains at each end. A person weighing 500 N is sitting on the board. The tension in the right chain is 250 N. How far from the left end of the board is the person sitting?
- An object is attached to one end of a free rope and is being spun in a vertical circle. At the highest point of the circle, tension and weight are ___________.
- A 5 kg object is subject to a net force of 10 N. What is the object's weight?
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