Grade 11 Physics · Weight is not mass
Gravity's markup
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Gravity's markup

Your mass is how much of you there is; your weight is how hard gravity pulls on it. W=mgW = mgW equals m g — with g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8\ \mathrm{m/s^2}: every kilogram gets charged 9.8 newtons, no exceptions, like a tax. On the Moon the same kilograms would be charged less; the stuff itself never changes.

The exam wound this lesson exists to prevent: quoting the mass number as the weight. A 10 kg crate does not weigh “10” — it weighs 98 N. The bathroom scale is a cheerful liar here: it FEELS force and prints kilograms, quietly dividing by 9.8 on your behalf. In this room, nobody divides on your behalf.