What is the gravitational acceleration value used in weight calculations on Earth?

What is the gravitational acceleration value used in weight calculations on Earth?

• A. 9.8 m/s2
• B. 9.8 km/s2
• C. 0 m/s2
• D. 3.7 m/s2

Answer: (A)

Weight is the force of gravity acting on a mass, described by W = m g. The letter g represents the acceleration due to gravity. Near Earth’s surface, g is about 9.8 m/s^2 (often rounded to 9.81). Because weight depends on both mass and this acceleration, a 1 kg mass weighs roughly 9.8 N on Earth, a 2 kg mass about 19.6 N, and so on. The other options don’t fit because they mix incorrect units (km/s^2), imply no gravity (0), or correspond to gravitational values on other bodies rather than Earth.

Weight is the force of gravity acting on a mass, described by W = m g. The letter g represents the acceleration due to gravity. Near Earth’s surface, g is about 9.8 m/s^2 (often rounded to 9.81). Because weight depends on both mass and this acceleration, a 1 kg mass weighs roughly 9.8 N on Earth, a 2 kg mass about 19.6 N, and so on. The other options don’t fit because they mix incorrect units (km/s^2), imply no gravity (0), or correspond to gravitational values on other bodies rather than Earth.