vikten

Vikten is the definite form of the Swedish noun vikt, commonly translated as "the weight" in English. In everyday Swedish, vikt denotes heaviness or importance. When discussing physics, speakers usually use tyngd to describe weight as a gravitational force rather than the everyday notion of heaviness.

In physics, weight is the force produced by gravity acting on a mass. It is quantified by W = m g, where m is mass and g is the local acceleration due to gravity. Weight is measured in newtons; mass is measured in kilograms. Because g varies with location, weight changes with altitude and on different planetary bodies.

In practice, scales and load sensors translate weight into a force reading, often displayed in newtons, or into mass values in kilograms for convenience. The everyday distinction between weight and mass is subtle to non-scientists, but it matters in physics and engineering, where weight is a force and mass is an intrinsic property.

Related forms exist in other Nordic languages: Danish vægten and Norwegian vekten share a similar definite form of the word for weight. The topic is a common example in discussions of measurement, gravity, and the physics of motion.