Gravity pushing down on the mass of an object causes weight; weight is a downward force.

• A. Mass
• B. Weight
• C. Force
• D. Acceleration

Answer: (B)

Weight is the downward force that gravity exerts on an object’s mass. That’s why gravity pushing down on the mass produces weight—the amount of weight depends on both how much matter there is (the mass) and the strength of gravity. In fact, weight equals mass times gravitational acceleration (on Earth, about 9.8 m/s^2), so heavier objects or stronger gravity mean more weight.

Mass is just how much matter an object has; it doesn’t indicate a force or direction. A force is a push or pull, and weight is the specific force due to gravity acting on that mass. Acceleration is how quickly something changes its velocity, which gravity can cause, but weight itself is the force measured as a downward pull.