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The value of acceleration due to gravity does not depend on the location or mass of the body to measure its weight.

(a) True
(b) False

1 Answer

1 vote

Final answer:

The value of acceleration due to gravity varies depending on location, which affects an object's weight. This value is different on Earth compared to other celestial bodies, like the Moon, making the statement false. Option B is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that the value of acceleration due to gravity does not depend on the location or mass of the body to measure its weight is false. The acceleration due to gravity, denoted by g, varies slightly over the surface of Earth and dramatically when moving to other celestial bodies, such as the Moon.

For example, on Earth, g is approximately 9.8 m/s², while on the Moon, it is only about 1.625 m/s². Therefore, the weight of an object, which is the force exerted by gravity on that object, depends on where it is located in the universe.

It is important to note that the gravitational constant, represented by G, is indeed the same throughout the universe and is used to calculate gravitational forces between bodies. However, the acceleration due to gravity (g) varies depending on the mass of the body (like a planet or moon) and the distance from its center.

To provide a practical example, consider a book on Earth balanced by a 1-kg iron weight. If taken to the Moon, the balance would still be level because both the book and the weight experience the same reduced gravity on the moon's surface. This illustrates that while g is different on the Moon, it is uniform, just like it is on the Earth's surface.

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