A unit of force equal to the force exerted by gravity on a body at rest is called

A unit of force equal to the force exerted by gravity on a body at rest is called

• A. Newton
• B. Pound
• C. Joule
• D. Gs

Answer: (D)

Weight is the gravitational force acting on a body at rest, so it is a force. In the SI system, the unit for force is the Newton, defined as 1 N = 1 kg·m/s^2. The weight of a mass m near Earth's surface is W = m g, so it is measured in Newtons (for example, a 1 kg mass weighs about 9.81 N). The other options don’t fit: the pound is a force unit used in English engineering units, but the standard SI unit is the Newton; the joule is a unit of energy; Gs refers to gravitational acceleration, not a unit of force. Thus the correct unit for the gravitational force on a body at rest is the Newton.

Weight is the gravitational force acting on a body at rest, so it is a force. In the SI system, the unit for force is the Newton, defined as 1 N = 1 kg·m/s^2. The weight of a mass m near Earth's surface is W = m g, so it is measured in Newtons (for example, a 1 kg mass weighs about 9.81 N). The other options don’t fit: the pound is a force unit used in English engineering units, but the standard SI unit is the Newton; the joule is a unit of energy; Gs refers to gravitational acceleration, not a unit of force. Thus the correct unit for the gravitational force on a body at rest is the Newton.