When you hold a textbook and a pencil, why does the textbook feel heavier than the pencil?
The textbook has a stronger attraction to Earth.
Your hand repels the textbook with less force.
The textbook has less mass than the pencil.
You can grip the pencil with more strength.
The correct answer is: The textbook has more mass than the pencil.
The reason the textbook feels heavier than the pencil when you hold them is due to a combination of factors. Firstly, the textbook has a stronger attraction to the Earth. This is because of a fundamental force called gravity, which pulls objects towards the center of the Earth. The textbook has more mass compared to the pencil, and according to Newton's law of universal gravitation, objects with greater mass experience a stronger gravitational pull.
Secondly, your hand repels the textbook with less force. By holding the textbook, you are exerting an upward force on it to counteract gravity. However, this force is typically not as strong as the downward force due to gravity acting on the textbook. As a result, you feel the weight of the textbook more.
Additionally, the textbook has less mass than the pencil. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter an object contains, and objects with greater mass typically feel heavier. Since the textbook has more mass than the pencil, it feels heavier in your hand.
Lastly, you can grip the pencil with more strength. When you hold an object, the force you apply through your hand determines how it feels. By gripping the pencil tightly or with more strength, you may perceive it as less weighty compared to the textbook, which might require a looser or less forceful grip.
When you hold a textbook and a pencil, the textbook may feel heavier than the pencil for a few reasons:
1. The textbook has a stronger attraction to Earth: Both the textbook and the pencil experience the force of gravity, which is the force that pulls objects toward the center of the Earth. However, the textbook typically has more mass than the pencil, and therefore a stronger attraction to Earth. This can make the textbook feel heavier when held in hand.
2. Your hand repels the textbook with less force: Each object you hold in your hand experiences a repulsive force called the normal force. This force is exerted by your hand in the opposite direction to counteract gravity and prevent the object from falling through your hand. While both the textbook and pencil experience the normal force, the textbook has a greater weight, and thus your hand repels it with less force. This can make the textbook feel heavier compared to the pencil.
3. The textbook has less mass than the pencil: Assuming the textbook and pencil are made of similar materials, it is generally true that a textbook will have less mass than a pencil. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, and it directly contributes to an object's weight. Hence, if the textbook has less mass compared to the pencil, it will generally feel lighter.
4. You can grip the pencil with more strength: Grip strength also plays a role in how heavy an object feels. When you grip an object with more force, it can give the perception that the object is lighter. As a pencil is smaller and more compact, you are likely able to grip it with more strength compared to a larger textbook. This can contribute to the textbook feeling heavier in comparison.