How does gravity become weight?

Mass is the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the force of gravity acting on that mass. Near Earth’s surface, weight is calculated as mass multiplied by the local gravitational acceleration, about 9.8 meters per second squared. That is why the same person weighs less on the Moon, where gravity is about one-sixth of Earth’s. In everyday life, scales measure weight, not mass directly. This distinction is central in physics and explains why astronauts can be weightless in orbit even though gravity is still acting on them.