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Gravitational Mass

Definition

Gravitational mass refers to the measure of an object's response to the force of gravity. It determines how strongly an object is attracted towards another object due to gravity.

Analogy

Think of gravitational mass as a magnet's strength. Just like a stronger magnet attracts metal objects more strongly, an object with greater gravitational mass is pulled towards other objects with more force.

Related terms

Inertial Mass: Inertial mass refers to the measure of an object's resistance to changes in its motion. It determines how difficult it is to accelerate or decelerate an object.

Newton's Second Law of Motion: Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its inertial mass. It can be mathematically expressed as F = ma, where F represents the net force, m represents the inertial mass, and a represents the acceleration.

Weight: Weight is the force experienced by an object due to gravity. It depends on both gravitational mass and the acceleration due to gravity. Weight can be calculated using the formula W = mg, where W represents weight, m represents gravitational mass, and g represents acceleration due to gravity.