What is the difference between G and g in this context?

What is the difference between G and g in this context?

• A. G is a dimensionless ratio of force to acceleration; g is the acceleration due to gravity.
• B. G is the acceleration due to gravity; g is a dimensionless ratio.
• C. G is the force applied to the pilot; g is a distance traveled.
• D. G and g are unrelated quantities.

Answer: (A)

In flight terminology, the two symbols mean different things. Lowercase g is the acceleration due to gravity at Earth's surface, about 9.81 m/s^2. Uppercase G is the load factor— a dimensionless quantity that tells you how many times gravity you are experiencing. It’s defined as the actual vertical acceleration divided by g (or, equivalently, lift divided by weight). So if you feel 3 g, the acceleration is three times gravity, and G = 3. That’s why the correct choice is that G is a dimensionless ratio, while g is the actual gravitational acceleration. The other statements mix up what each symbol represents (not a distance, not a force on the pilot, and not unrelated).

In flight terminology, the two symbols mean different things. Lowercase g is the acceleration due to gravity at Earth's surface, about 9.81 m/s^2. Uppercase G is the load factor— a dimensionless quantity that tells you how many times gravity you are experiencing. It’s defined as the actual vertical acceleration divided by g (or, equivalently, lift divided by weight). So if you feel 3 g, the acceleration is three times gravity, and G = 3.

That’s why the correct choice is that G is a dimensionless ratio, while g is the actual gravitational acceleration. The other statements mix up what each symbol represents (not a distance, not a force on the pilot, and not unrelated).