How does gravity influence an object's weight?

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Study Contact, Non-Contact Forces, and Magnetism. Improve with multiple choice questions, flashcards, and hints. Prepare effectively for your exam!

Gravity is a fundamental force that acts on all objects with mass, and it directly influences the weight of an object. Weight is defined as the force exerted by gravity on that object, which means that any change in the gravitational pull acting on an object will result in a change in its weight.

In scenarios where the gravitational force decreases, such as at higher altitudes or on celestial bodies with weaker gravitational fields than Earth, the weight of an object will decrease accordingly. For example, if an object is taken from the surface of the Earth to a higher altitude, the pull of gravity is slightly less strong than at sea level, resulting in reduced weight. Similarly, on the Moon, where gravity is about one-sixth that of Earth, the same object would weigh significantly less.

This relationship between gravity and weight is crucial for understanding the forces acting on objects in different environments, highlighting how weight is not a constant characteristic but rather dependent on the local gravitational force.

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