Weight
Summary: The gravitational force acting on an object due to its mass. Tags: concepts physics forces Created: 2026-05-03T00:00:00Z Last Updated: 2026-05-03T00:00:00Z
Content
Weight is the force exerted on a mass by gravity. It is measured in newtons (N) and is calculated as:
Weight (N) = mass (kg) × gravitational field strength (N/kg)
Unlike mass — which is constant regardless of location — weight varies with the local gravitational field strength. An object weighs less on the Moon (g ≈ 1.6 N/kg) than on Earth (g ≈ 10 N/kg), though its mass remains unchanged.
Weight is a vector quantity (it has direction — toward the center of the gravitating body).