The gravitational force on an object is called what?

The gravitational force on an object is called what?

• A. Mass
• B. Friction
• C. Weight
• D. Force

Answer: (C)

Weight is the gravitational force acting on an object. It comes from the pull of a planet on the object’s mass and is equal to mass times the local gravitational acceleration (weight = m × g). Because gravity can change from one location to another, weight changes while mass stays the same. For example, a 10 kg mass weighs about 98 newtons on Earth, but much less on the Moon. Friction is a different force that resists motion between surfaces, and force is a general term for any push or pull, not specifically the gravity-driven pull on an object.

Weight is the gravitational force acting on an object. It comes from the pull of a planet on the object’s mass and is equal to mass times the local gravitational acceleration (weight = m × g). Because gravity can change from one location to another, weight changes while mass stays the same. For example, a 10 kg mass weighs about 98 newtons on Earth, but much less on the Moon. Friction is a different force that resists motion between surfaces, and force is a general term for any push or pull, not specifically the gravity-driven pull on an object.