what is the force in newtons acting on a 4.0kg package of nails that falls off a roof and is on its way to the ground

To determine the force acting on a falling object, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that force (F) is equal to the mass (m) of an object multiplied by its acceleration (a). In this case, the acceleration is due to gravity.

The acceleration due to gravity on Earth is approximately 9.8 m/s². Therefore, we can use this value as the acceleration value (a) in our calculation. The mass of the package is given as 4.0 kg.

Using the formula F = m * a, we can plug in the values:

F = 4.0 kg * 9.8 m/s²
F = 39.2 N

Therefore, the force acting on the 4.0 kg package of nails that falls off the roof is approximately 39.2 Newtons.

what is mg?

I think the force of gravity is the only force at work so what is the force of gravity in newtons?