Understanding Mass and Weight
Physics - Gravitation
Mass and Weight
The quantity of matter in a body is known as mass of the body. Mass is quantitative measure of inertia. Mass is an intrinsic property of matter and does not change as an object is moved from one location to another. Weight, in contrast, is the gravitational force that earth exerts on the object and can vary, depending on how far the object is above the earth's surface or whether it is located near another body such as the moon. The relation between weight W and mass m can be written in one of two ways:
W = GMₑm / r²
W = mg
According to the Newton's second law,
Force = mass ✕ acceleration
or mass = force / acceleration
Mass is of two types :
i) Inertial mass
ii) Gravitational mass
1. Inertial Mass:
Ratio of the applied external force and the acceleration produced in the body is known as inertial mass,
mi = External force applied / Acceleration produced.