explain the difference between weight and mass.?

Question

explain the difference between weight and mass. gracias. i think this is physics.. not sure though..

Answer 1

Mass is the amount of material in an object. Mass stays the same no matter what force is acting on the object. This makes mass different from weight, which depends on both the amount of mass and the amount of gravity

Answer 2

Mass is defined as the amount of matter an object has. One of the qualities of mass is that it has inertia As an example of inertia, imagine an ice puck resting on a frozen pond. It takes a certain amount of force to set the puck in motion. The greater the mass the more force will be needed to move the puck. The same is true if the puck were sliding along the ice. It would continue to slide until a force is applied to stop the puck. The more massive the puck is, the more force will be needed to stop the motion of the puck. Mass is a measure of how much inertia an object shows.

The weight of an object on earth depends on the force of attraction (gravity) between the object object and earth. We can express that force as an equation:

F = G[M m/r2] ,

where F is the force of attraction, M is the mass of the earth, m is the mass of the object, and r is the distance between the center of mass of the two objects (G is called the Gravitational Constant)

What does this equation show? What will cause the force of attraction to increase or decrease? If either mass increases the force of attraction increases proportionally. Since the moon has 1/6 the mass of earth, it would exert a force on an object that is 1/6 that on earth.

Why is the 1/r 2 factor so important? This is an inverse square relationship which seems to show up a lot in physics. How does it affect the force?

What is 1/r 2 when r=1, 2, 5, 10? What is the decimal equivalent? Notice that when r=1 the value 1/r 2 is 1.0, but at r=10 it deceases to 1/100. That means gravity gets weak 'quick' as we move away from the earth.

To get a real feel for the inverse square relationship, see if you can get two magnets. Move the poles closer and closer slowly, what do you notice when r (the distance between the poles) is very small?

Answer 3

I think Shinu gave you the best answer, but most responses are basically correct.

Here's an example that may help you. Consider that you are in space (on a spaceship) and you are trying to work with a hammer.
If you drop the hammer, it does not fall to the floor, because there is no gravity exerting a force pulling it down to the floor. If there were a force pulling it down, that force would be the hammer's weight.

But when you try to swing the hammer, you find that your arm has to do some work to accelerate the hammer. You can "feel" its mass (the amount of material in the hammer's steel head). And when the hammer hits the nail (if that's what you're hitting), the nail will "feel" the hammer's mass pushing it into the wood (or whatever). Even though the hammer has no "weight," its "mass" is still there and is getting the job done.

Answer 4

Weight is the amount of gravitational force being acted upon an object. Mass is the amount of matter within an object. Weight can change, mass cannot.

Answer 5

mass is an intrinsic property of matter. This means mass exists in any matter particle. Weight,in the other hand, needs the presence of at least two particles to experience it in the form of mutual atraction. (very similar to when you look someone you love). Mass can be transformed into energy (as a matter of fact, mass IS some kind of "freezed" energy). Weight requires mass to his existence. Mass do not require weight to exist.

Answer 6

Mass is a property of matter and is always the same.
Weight is a force, mass*gravitational acceleration. It changes depending on the gravitaional acceleration of whatever body you're on.

Answer 7

Weight is the how heavy an object is when on a scale.
How much does an elephant weigh on a scale?

Mass is a measurement of volume. Think size.
How much space does an elephant require?

Answer 8

weight involves gravity so weight =mass * gravity
well it doesnt have to be gravity either... it could just be an external force acting on an object like moving in an elevator.
mass is the amount of matter something is made up of

Answer 9

Weight is the amount of force exerted on an object by gravity.
Mass is the amount of space taken up by an object.

Answer 10

weight=it is the force by which the earth pulls the body, it is expressed as mass times gravitational acceleration.
i.e. mg=weight its units in newton (N)

mass= it is the amount of the matter contain in the body, it never alters whereas the weight always changes with change in gravitational force its unit is (kg)