Question

When you hold a textbook and a pencil, why does the textbook feel heavier than the pencil?
A. You can grip the pencil with more strength.
B. The textbook has less mass than the pencil.
C. The textbook has a stronger attraction to Earth.
D. Your hand repels the textbook with less force.

Answer 1

C. The textbook has a stronger attraction to Earth.

Weight is the gravitational force (F = mg). Because the textbook has more mass than the pencil, Earth pulls on it with a larger force, so it feels heavier. (Options A and B are wrong; D is a confused way to state the support force — your hand must push up harder for the textbook, not repel it less.)