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Name: Nicole S.
Status: educator
Age: 30s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 10/15/2004
Question:
I am trying to explain to my 6th graders the idea of the difference between mass and weight and how gravity pulls on all objects about the same at 9.8N. They are completely confused as to the relationship of newtons to lbs. Do you have a clear way of explaining to them the idea that the gravitational pull is the same on all of us, but that our mass is different therefore, our weight is different? They think the pull of gravity should change if our mass changes. I am stuck. Thanks for your help.

Replies:
The acceleration, 9.8 m/s/s, is independent of mass, but the total force on an object is the acceleration multiplied by the mass, and that is greater for more massive objects.

Newtons and pounds are both units of force.

Tim Mooney


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