When you hold a textbook and a pencil, why does the textbook feel heavier than the pencil?

• You can grip the pencil with more strength.
• The textbook has less mass than the pencil.
• Your hand repels the textbook with less force.
• The textbook has a stronger attraction to Earth.

The textbook feels heavier than the pencil because it has more mass. The weight, or perceived heaviness, of an object is determined by its mass and the force of gravity acting on it.