Is mass how big something is?

Question

Could you also explain what matter is in laymen terms or in other words dumb it down or say it in a way I can understand.

So is mass the same as size since mass is the same in outerspace because I read it had something to do with weight.

Answer 1

Mass is, simply put, a measure of the amount of matter. In physics however, it is the force required to accelerate an object. But in a simple way, it can be said that anything that is matter has mass

Answer 2

Mass is how much stuff there is in the thing.
Weight is how heavy that thing is on earth.

Think of a feather pillow. Its pretty large (30" x 24" or so) but it doesn't weigh much. Takes up a lot of space, but it doesn't have much mass, therefore not much weight.

Now think of a brick. Its pretty small (6" x 2" x 3") but it weighs a lot more than the pillow.
A lot of mass, therefore more weight.

In space, outside our gravitational field, the mass is all still there, but there is no weight because there is no gravity.
So the feather pillow in space has the same mass it had on earth, just no weight. The same for the brick.

But in space, the mass is what matters when you want to throw something or catch it. It takes just as much muscle to throw the brick in space as it would take on earth, because the mass is all still there.

Answer 3

Mass is an intrinsic property of all material. It is the same no matter what gravitational field the material is in. Weight is the force a given amount of mass feels in a gravitational field and changes as the gravitational field changes. A 10 lb mass only weight a couple of pounds on the moon, but the mass or amount of material is the same as on earth.

Answer 4

Mass is the number of molecules in an object in relation to the space of an object. For instance a bodybuilder and a block of ice may both weight 300 pounds but the bodybuilder would be considered more massive because he occupies more space.

Answer 5

Mass is how much of something there is in an object or thing.
Like an apple weighing one pound is just gravity pulling down on the apple, but the 450 grams it may "weigh" here on Earth can change in outerspace.

The measurement of mass is not how much it weighs, but how much "stuff" is in it.

Answer 6

Hi. Mass is resistance to acceleration. Weight is how much gravity affects something. A balloon can be big but has little mass or weight.

Answer 7

Mass is basicly how much space something takes up.

Like the common example. You mass is always going to be the same if your on the earth or if your on the moon. Though on the moon youll weigh less becuse of the gravitational pull.

Answer 8

mass is a base unit that describes an object...the question how big is something is relative to what you are comparing it to. Like is a marble big compared to the earth...no, is it big compared to an electron yes....so a base unit is needed for those comparisons and that unit is mass......matter is anything that has an atomic make up

Answer 9

mass is substance. how much mass is in a bar of metal........? = how much substance is in a bar of metal? if an item is big it doesnt nessessarrily mean it has alot of mass a pound of lead will hit the ground equally with a pound of feathers and feathers will take up more space..........if not completly compressed

Answer 10

mass is the number of molecules that make up the object while weight is the pull of gravity combined with the mass of the object.