If altitude is increased, how does the weight of a fixed mass change?

If altitude is increased, how does the weight of a fixed mass change?

• A. Weight increases.
• B. Weight remains constant.
• C. Weight decreases.
• D. Weight becomes negative.

Answer: (C)

Weight is the gravitational force on a mass, W = m g. For a fixed mass, the weight depends on g, the gravitational acceleration at that location. As altitude increases, you’re farther from Earth's center, and the gravitational field weakens roughly with the inverse square of distance. That means g gets smaller, so W = m g gets smaller as well. The mass stays the same, so the weight decreases, not increases. At very high altitudes, gravity becomes very weak and weight approaches zero, not a negative value—gravity always pulls toward Earth, so weight can’t be negative.

Weight is the gravitational force on a mass, W = m g. For a fixed mass, the weight depends on g, the gravitational acceleration at that location. As altitude increases, you’re farther from Earth's center, and the gravitational field weakens roughly with the inverse square of distance. That means g gets smaller, so W = m g gets smaller as well. The mass stays the same, so the weight decreases, not increases. At very high altitudes, gravity becomes very weak and weight approaches zero, not a negative value—gravity always pulls toward Earth, so weight can’t be negative.