Weight vs Mass

Weight

Unit: Newton (N)
Definition: Force of gravity acting on object

  • Changes with gg
  • Vector
  • Is a force

Mass

Unit: Kilogram (kg)
Definition: Measure of inertia (property that resists change in motion)

  • Fixed
  • Scalar

Formula

W=mgweight=mass⋅gravitational field strength\begin{align*} W &= mg \\ \mathrm{weight} &= \mathrm{mass \cdot gravitational~field~strength} \end{align*}

Unit of gg = m s−2\mathrm{m\,s^{-2}}