Mechanics

Weight

Weight is a measure of the force a body exerts on a planet in regards to the mass of the body and the gravitational acceleration. Force and therefore Weight is measured in Newtons (N) which is also calculated with . This means that on different celestial objects with their different masses and therefore different gravitational acceleration we would weigh differently to here on earth. For example on earth a 70kg person would weigh 686N (70kg x 9.8 ) whereas on the moon, where the gravitational acceleration is about 1.62 , that same 70kg person would weigh 113N. This means on a pair of scales calibrated for earth they would measure 11.5kg.

G-force is another name for the acceleration due to gravity. It is a scale relationship compared to earths 9.8m/s/s or 1G… For example .16Gs (the moon) is about 1.6m/s/s. In a car crash the occupants can undergo as much as 30Gs, but this can be varied so much depending on the deceleration of the car, which changes with factors such as initial speed, stopping distance, and car safety features such as seat belts and air bags.

Weight Calculator