This key facts covers Weight vs Mass within Forces & Their Effects for GCSE Physics. Revise Forces & Their Effects in Forces for GCSE Physics with 25 exam-style questions and 11 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 3 of 13 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 3 of 13
Practice
25 questions
Recall
11 flashcards
⚖️ Weight vs Mass
MASS (m):
- Amount of matter in an object
- Measured in kilograms (kg)
- SAME everywhere in the universe
- Scalar quantity (magnitude only)
WEIGHT (W):
- Force of gravity acting on an object
- Measured in Newtons (N)
- DIFFERENT on different planets
- Vector quantity (magnitude AND direction)
W = m × g
Weight (N) = mass (kg) × gravitational field strength (N/kg)
Example: A 70 kg person:
- On Earth (g = 10): W = 70 × 10 = 700 N
- On Moon (g = 1.6): W = 70 × 1.6 = 112 N
- Mass stays 70 kg in both places!