How To Calculate The Weight Of An Object

The weight of an object is the force of attraction that the object has to the Earth. It is the product of the mass of the object, multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity. You may choose to calculate the weight of an object to solve a physics problem. It is a basic calculation and it is often a fundamental step to solving other, more complicated problems. You can calculate the weight by identifying what given information you have, and putting the numbers into the designated equation.

Step 1

Write down your given information for the weight problem. The problem will provide you with the mass of the object and the acceleration due to gravity. For example, the mass may be 3 g, and the acceleration due to gravity may be 9.81 meters per second per second.

Step 2

Find the equation that needs to be used to solve the problem. The equation used to calculate the weight of an object is F = ma. "F" is the force in Newtons, "m" is the mass in grams and "a" is the acceleration due to gravity.

Step 3

Put the values of the problem into the equation. For example, multiply the mass of the object times the acceleration due to gravity, or F=(3g)(9.81 m/s^2). You should receive an answer of 29.4 Newtons.