Which statement is true about weight?

• A. Weight is a measure of gravitational force pulling down on an object.
• B. Weight is the mass of an object.
• C. Weight is the kinetic energy of an object.
• D. Weight is the resistance to motion.

Answer: (A)

Weight is a force: it’s the gravitational pull from a planet on an object. This force can be written as W = mg, with m as the object's mass and g as the acceleration due to gravity. Because it’s a force, weight is measured in Newtons and points downward toward the planet. The mass of the object doesn’t change with location, but weight does—varying with the strength of the gravitational field.

That’s why the statement describing weight as the gravitational force pulling down on an object is the accurate one. The other ideas mix up different concepts: mass is the amount of matter, not the pull; kinetic energy is energy of motion; and resistance to motion refers to inertia or friction, not weight. For example, a 5 kg mass weighs about 49 N on Earth and would weigh less on the Moon due to weaker gravity, while its mass remains 5 kg.