MASS & WEIGHT

PHYSICS 0625

PREPARED BY
MR. DENNIS MENSAH
 MASS & WEIGHT
 Mass is a measure of the quantity of matter in an object at rest
relative to the observer.
 Mass is measured with a beam balance in kilogram(kg).
 Mass is constant everywhere.

 Weight is a gravitational force on an object that has mass.

 Weight is the effect of a gravitational field on a mass.
 Weight is measured with a spring balance in Newton (N).
 Weight varies from place to place. Deep in space weight is
zero.
 Gravitational field strength, g.
Gravitational field strength is defined as force per unit mass.
It is equivalent to the acceleration of free fall.
Gravitational field strength, g = 10N/kg

Weight = mass x acceleration due to free fall

On earth, g is 9.8m/s² ≈ 10m/s²

On the moon, g is 1.6m/s²
 Question
1. An astronaut travels from the earth and lands on the moon.
His mass on the moon is 100kg.
a. What is his mass on earth?
b. What is his weight on the moon?
c. What is his weight on earth?
[Assume g = 10ms⁻²]

2. A rocket of mass 200kg travels to space from the earth with

a 3000N force from its engines. Find the the acceleration of the
rocket?
 Work
Two meteoritic rocks of masses 5 kg and 10 kg are
falling near the earth’s surface. Assume that g = 10N/kg
and there is no air resistance.
a. What is the gravitational field strength?
b. What is the acceleration of each rock?
c. What is the weight of each rock?
d. What was their weight deep in space before falling
near the earth’s surface?
Next topic

DENSITY