College

If an object has a mass of 20 kg, what is the force of gravity acting on it on Earth?

A. 2.04 kg
B. 196 N
C. 1.96 kg
D. 32.67 N

Answer :

To determine the force of gravity acting on an object with a mass of 20 kg on Earth, we use the formula for calculating the weight (or force of gravity), which is:

[tex]\[ \text{Force of gravity} = \text{mass} \times \text{acceleration due to gravity} \][/tex]

On Earth, the acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s²).

Follow these steps for the calculation:

1. Determine the mass of the object. Here, the mass is 20 kg.
2. Use the acceleration due to gravity, which is 9.8 m/s².
3. Multiply the mass by the acceleration due to gravity to find the force:

[tex]\[ \text{Force of gravity} = 20 \, \text{kg} \times 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 = 196 \, \text{N} \][/tex]

Therefore, the force of gravity acting on the object is 196 Newtons (N).

The best answer is B. 196 N.