What do you understand by the term force due to gravity ?

According to the law of gravitation, the earth attracts each object around it, towards its center. The force with which the earth attracts a body is called the force due to gravity on the body, which can be taken to act vertically downwards at the centre of gravity of the body.

The force due to gravity on a body of mass m kept on the surface of earth of mass M and radius R, is equal to the force of attraction between the earth and that body.

It is given as —

$\text{F} = \text{G}\dfrac{\text{M}\text{m}}{\text{r}^2}$

and the numerical value of force due to gravity = 9.8 N.