Contents
Key Stage 2
Meaning
Weight is how heavy or light something is.
About Weight
- Objects have weight because of the gravity of the Earth.
- Weight can be measured using a Newton Meter or a Measuring Scale.
- Weight is measured in Newtons but can also be measured in stone, pounds and ounces.
- Weight depends on the amount of mass an object has.
Golf Ball | Beach Ball | Bowling Ball |
The Golf Ball is not made of much material so it is lightest. | The Beach Ball might be the biggest but it is not the heaviest. | The Bowling Ball is made of the most material, so it is the heaviest. |
Key Stage 3
Meaning
Weight is the the force on an object that is in a gravitational field.
About Weight
- Weight is a force so it is measured in Newtons.
- Weight is a non-contact force.
- Weight always acts downwards.
- All objects on Earth have weight because the Earth has a gravitational field.
- Different planets have a different strength gravitational field, so the same object might weigh a different amount on different planets.
Examples
Weight makes a tennis ball fall to the ground. | Weight holds the bowling ball to the ground. | If the weight of a boat were bigger than the upthrust the boat would sink. |
The weight of the car acts from its centre of mass. | The submarine has the same weight under the water as it would on land, but in the water this is balanced by the upthrust. | Planes can be very heavy but their weight is balanced by the lift. |
Equation
- Weight = Mass x Gravitational Field Strength
\[W = m \times g \] Where:
- W = Weight
- m = Mass
- g = Gravitational Field Strength