About Weight formula
The weight formula is used to calculate the exact weight of a body on a specific gravitational field. Gravitational weight is a force that any mass feels due to gravitational pull. The SI unit of weight is the Newton. The letter W stands for weight. The body's weight may fluctuate based on the force of gravity it encounters.
Formula of weight
The product of an object's mass and gravitational acceleration is its weight. W = mg is the basic formula for calculating weight (Newton) where,
- W is the object's weight in Newton
- m is the mass of the object in kg
- g is the acceleration due to gravity. On the earth, the value of g is 9.8 m/s2.
Some examples of the calculation of weight
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Example 1: If the mass of the body is 100 kg. Then its weight is (Hint: use g = 9.8 m/s2.
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Solution:
Mass = 50 kg (given)
W = mg
W = 100 × 9.8
W = 980 N
Answer: The body's weight is 490 N
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Example 2:Find the mass of the body if the body's weight on the moon is 500 N. Take the value of g on the moon 1.62 m/s2.
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Solution:
Weight on the moon = 500 N (given)
Using the formula to find weight,
W = mg
Mass of the body = W/g
Mass of the body = 500/1.62
Mass of the body = 308.64 kg
Answer: The body's mass is 308.64 kg
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