Mass Formula

The mass is a fundamental property of a body, a measure of the amount of matter the body possesses; a numerical measure of its inertia. All mechanical magnitudes can be defined in terms of mass, length and time. The symbol for mass is m and its SI unit is kilogram.

To know the value of the mass of a body, we can use the second law of newton that establishes that the magnitude of the force exerted on the body will depend on the mass times the acceleration of the movement, independently of the type of force that this acting on the body.

mass = force / acceleration

The equation is written

m = F/a

We have:
m = mass
F = force
a = acceleration

Mass Questions:

1) A body is subjected to a magnetic force of 87 N. If the body experiences an acceleration of 3m/s², what is the value of its mass?

Answer: We use the previous equation, where the force is given by F = 87 N and the acceleration a = 3m/s².

m = F/a
m = 87 N/3m/s²
m = 29 kg.

2) A body is found on the planet of Jupiter, so it is subjected to a gravitational force of 1612 N. If the gravity acceleration on this planet is 24.79 m/s², what is the value of the body mass?

Answer: We use the previous equation, where the force is given by F = 1612 N and the gravity acceleration a = g = 24.79 m/s².

m = F/a
m = F/g
m = 1612 N/ 24.79 m/s²
m = 65.03 kg.