High School

Select the best answer for the question.

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. 32.67 N
C. 1.96 kg
D. 196 N

Answer :

To determine the force of gravity acting on an object on Earth, you can use the formula for gravitational force:

[tex]\[ F = m \times g \][/tex]

where:
- [tex]\( F \)[/tex] is the force of gravity,
- [tex]\( m \)[/tex] is the mass of the object,
- [tex]\( g \)[/tex] is the acceleration due to gravity on Earth, which is approximately [tex]\( 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)[/tex].

Given:
- The mass ([tex]\( m \)[/tex]) of the object is [tex]\( 20 \, \text{kg} \)[/tex].
- The acceleration due to gravity ([tex]\( g \)[/tex]) on Earth is [tex]\( 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)[/tex].

We use the given values in the formula:

[tex]\[ F = 20 \, \text{kg} \times 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \][/tex]

This calculates to:

[tex]\[ F = 196 \, \text{N} \][/tex]

So, the force of gravity acting on an object with a mass of 20 kg on Earth is [tex]\( 196 \, \text{N} \)[/tex].

Therefore, the best answer to the question is:
D. [tex]\( 196 \, \text{N} \)[/tex]