Gravitational Mass
A measure of the strength of the gravitational force exerted or experienced by an object in a gravitational field.
Governing formula
m = F_g / g
SI unit
kg
In depth
Gravitational mass dictates weight (W = m g). The Einstein Equivalence Principle establishes that inertial mass and gravitational mass are exactly equal (m_i = m_g), forming the foundation of General Relativity.
Examples in the real world
Objects of different masses falling with identical acceleration in a vacuum because gravitational force scales with gravitational mass while resistance scales with inertial mass.