Weight versus gravitational force: Historical and educational perspectives

Abstract

This paper discusses the existing dichotomy regarding the definition of weight and its implications in science education. The history and epistemology of the weight concept and its present status in instruction and students' knowledge about weight are reviewed. The rationale of the concept of gravitational weight, currently accepted in many textbooks, is critiqued. Two mutually related implications stem from this study in science teaching: a conceptual distinction between weight and gravitational force; and replacement of the gravitational definition of weight by the operational one. Both innovations may improve the quality of science education.