To determine the force of gravity acting on an object on Earth, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity. The formula to calculate the force of gravity ([tex]\(F\)[/tex]) is:
[tex]\[ F = m \cdot g \][/tex]
where:
- [tex]\( F \)[/tex] is the force of gravity,
- [tex]\( m \)[/tex] is the mass of the object,
- [tex]\( g \)[/tex] is the acceleration due to gravity.
In this case:
- The mass ([tex]\(m\)[/tex]) of the object is given as 20 kg.
- The acceleration due to gravity ([tex]\(g\)[/tex]) on Earth is approximately 9.8 m/s².
By substituting the given values into the formula, we can calculate the force of gravity:
[tex]\[ F = 20 \, \text{kg} \times 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \][/tex]
[tex]\[ F = 196 \, \text{N} \][/tex]
Therefore, the force of gravity acting on an object with a mass of 20 kg on Earth is 196 Newtons (N).
The best answer to the question is:
D. 196 N