Which statement correctly describes the relationship between mass and weight?

Which statement correctly describes the relationship between mass and weight?

• A. Weight is mass multiplied by gravity, and mass changes with gravity.
• B. Weight is mass divided by gravity.
• C. Weight equals mass times gravitational acceleration; mass remains constant.
• D. Weight and mass are the same quantity.

Answer: (C)

Mass is the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the gravitational force acting on that mass. The weight depends on how strong gravity is in the location, so it follows W = m g. The mass stays the same no matter where you are, but g can change with location (Earth vs. Moon, or at different altitudes), which changes weight. That’s why the correct description is: weight equals mass times gravitational acceleration, and mass remains constant. For example, a 10 kg mass weighs about 98 N on Earth (10 × 9.8), but only about 16 N on the Moon (10 × 1.6). Weight and mass are different quantities: mass is inertia, weight is a gravitational force.

Mass is the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the gravitational force acting on that mass. The weight depends on how strong gravity is in the location, so it follows W = m g. The mass stays the same no matter where you are, but g can change with location (Earth vs. Moon, or at different altitudes), which changes weight. That’s why the correct description is: weight equals mass times gravitational acceleration, and mass remains constant. For example, a 10 kg mass weighs about 98 N on Earth (10 × 9.8), but only about 16 N on the Moon (10 × 1.6). Weight and mass are different quantities: mass is inertia, weight is a gravitational force.