What is the effect of gravity on weight?

• A. Weight decreases with gravity.
• B. Weight stays the same.
• C. Weight increases with stronger gravitational pull.
• D. Weight becomes mass.

Answer: (C)

Weight is the gravitational force acting on a mass, given by W = m g, where m is mass and g is the local gravitational acceleration. The mass stays the same, but gravity can vary by location, so weight changes with gravity. When gravity is stronger (larger g), weight increases; when gravity is weaker (smaller g), weight decreases. For example, a 1 kg mass weighs about 9.8 N on Earth but only about 1.6 N on the Moon. Weight does not become mass, and mass does not change with gravity. So the effect of gravity on weight is that weight increases with stronger gravitational pull.