Weight is the amount of force on an object and mass is the amount of matter in that object
2006-11-28 11:44:00
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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In modern scientific usage, weight and mass are fundamentally different quantities: mass is an intrinsic property of matter, whereas weight is a force that results from the action of gravity on matter.
However, the recognition of this difference is, historically, a relatively recent development – and in many everyday situations the word "weight" continues to be used when strictly speaking "mass" is meant. For example, we say that an object "weighs one kilogram", even though the kilogram is actually a unit of mass. (It would be more accurate to say that an object "masses one kilogram," but this phrasing remains uncommon.)
The distinction between mass and weight is unimportant for many practical purposes because, to a reasonable approximation, the strength of gravity is always the same everywhere on the surface of the Earth. In such a constant gravitational field, the gravitational force exerted on an object (its weight) is directly proportional to its mass. So, if object A weighs, say, 10 times as much as object B, then object A's mass is always 10 times that of object B. This means that an object's mass can be measured indirectly by its weight. For example, when we buy a bag of sugar we can measure its weight (how hard it presses down on the scales) and be sure that this will give an accurate indication of the quantity that we are actually interested in, which is its mass (the actual amount of sugar in the bag).
The use of "weight" for "mass" also persists in some scientific terminology – for example, in the chemical terms "atomic weight", "molecular weight", and "formula weight", rather than the preferred "atomic mass" etc.
The difference between mass and weight becomes obvious when objects are compared in different gravitational fields, such as away from the Earth's surface. For example, on the surface of the Moon, gravity is only about one-sixth as strong as on the surface of the Earth. A one-kilogram mass is still a one-kilogram mass (as mass is an intrinsic property of the object) but the downwards force due to gravity is only one-sixth of what the object would experience on Earth; that is, the weight of the one-kilogram mass is only one-sixth of what it would be on Earth.
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2006-11-29 06:04:44
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answer #2
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answered by catzpaw 6
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Weight is how much gravity is pulling smiting towards the ground. Your weight would be different on the moon than it is on earth, because the gravity is different up there. Mass is how much of something there is. Your mass would stay the same on the moon as it is down here on earth.
2006-11-28 19:45:27
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answer #3
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answered by mandamandapanda 3
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Mass is a property of the object and doesn't change (in Newtonian mechanics anyway). Mass is measured in kilograms.
Weight is a force equal to the mass of the object times the gravitational acceleration of whatever the object is being attracted to (Earth's g is 9.8 meters/second) Weight is measured in Newtons which is the same as (kilograms*meters)/second.
2006-11-28 19:46:14
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answer #4
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answered by April C 3
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Mass is a measure of how much stuff there is.
Weight is a measure of the gravity acting on it.
If you weigh 100 pounds at sea level on earth, you might weigh 200 pounds on Planet X or 50 pounds on Planet Y - because of the gravitational differences. Even on earth, you weigh less atop a mountain than at sea level.
However, your mass would be the same in all those locations.
2006-11-28 19:45:52
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answer #5
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answered by Steve A 7
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weight is ur apparent mass and mass is how much "stuff" u have in u. mass will never change unless u eat "stuff" or loss "stuff". however if ur mass stays the same and u go to the mean u will weight less because weight is affected by gravity
simple equation Weight=Mass * Acceleration due to gravity
2006-11-28 19:44:55
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answer #6
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answered by aznwangstaaa 2
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Weight is measure by gravity. Mass is the contents of a matter.for example.ur weight is lighter when ur on the moon than it is on earth this is due to the difference in gravities.but ur mass stay the same because what ever in your body stayed in your body nothing is lost.i hope that answer your question my friend
2006-11-28 19:49:43
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answer #7
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answered by kiki_freelove 2
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weight - mass x the acceration due to gravity and changes due to location ( weight of an object is less on moon than earth) unit Newton or pound
mass- the amount of matter in an object and does not change due to location. Unit -kilogram
2006-11-28 19:49:01
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answer #8
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answered by Robert O 2
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weight is dependent on gravity while mass is not. for example, your weight is different on earth versus on pluto due to the differing forces of gravity on each planet, but your mass would remain the same.
2006-11-28 19:51:00
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answer #9
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answered by natalie k 3
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Mass is constant. Weight can change depending on where u are
2006-11-28 19:45:03
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answer #10
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answered by bballmaster95 2
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