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In the previous sections, we have learned the acceleration due to gravity. In this section, we will discuss the basics of mass and weight and the differences between them.
Mass:
Mass is the fundamental property of a body. The mass of a body is defined as the quantity of matter contained in the body.
The SI unit of mass is a \(kilogram\) (\(kg\)).
Weight:
Weight is a vector quantity. The direction of weight is always towards the centre of the earth. The SI unit of weight is \(Newton\) (\(N\)).
Weight:
The gravitational force exerted on a body due to the earth's gravity alone is called the weight of a body.
Weight is a vector quantity. The direction of weight is always towards the centre of the earth. The SI unit of weight is \(Newton\) (\(N\)).
The weight of a body changes from one place to another on the earth's surface because it depends on the acceleration due to the gravity of the Earth (\(g\)). The weight of a body is higher at the poles than at the equatorial region.
Example:
If a person whose mass is \(50\ kg\) stands on earth's surface, his weight would be \(490 N\) (\(W\ =\ mg\ =\ 50 \times 9.8\)).
If the same person travels to the surface of the moon, he would weigh only \(81.25\ N\) (\(W\ =\ 50 \times 1.625\)). But, his mass remains the same (\(50\ kg\)) on both the earth and the moon.
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