Preconceptions: Forces, Mass, and Weight

Flashcards exploring common beliefs, statements, and preconceptions regarding forces, mass, and weight.

Mass and Weight - What Do You Believe?

A series of true-or-false statements addressing common notions and preconceptions regarding the properties and behavior of mass and weight.

Cannonball explosion force preconception

The notion that a cannonball shot from a cannon at high speed continues to experience the force of the explosion for several seconds (or at least a little while).

Forces on an object at rest preconception

The notion stating that if an object is at rest, then there are no forces acting upon it.

Vacuum weightlessness notion

The statement proposing that objects do not weigh anything when placed in a vacuum.

Mass-independent vacuum weight notion

The statement proposing that all objects weigh the same amount when placed in a vacuum, regardless of their mass.

Moon vs. Earth weight statement

The statement stating that an object weighs less on the moon than it does on the Earth.

Moon vs. Earth mass statement

The statement stating that the mass of an object on the moon is the same as its mass on the Earth.

High-speed object weight notion

The notion that a high-speed object (such as one moving at $200\,\text{mi/hr}$) weighs less than the same object when at rest.

High-speed object mass notion

The notion that a high-speed object (such as one moving at $200\,\text{mi/hr}$) possesses measurably more mass than the same object when at rest.

Units of mass and weight statement

The statement specifying that weight is measured in pounds, whereas mass is measured in Newtons.

Weight in free fall statement

The statement asserting that a free-falling object still has weight.

Air pressure weight notion

The notion proposing that weight is the result of air pressure exerted upon an object.