What is the difference between mass and weight?

Answer 1

Mass is the amount of matter in an object.
Weight is the measure of gravity pulling down on an object.

So an object can be weightless in space and still have the same mass as it has on Earth.

Answer 2

Mass is the amount of energy or matter in an object and remain a constant. Weight however is the effect of gravity on mass and is often mistaken for mass. Weight is given by the equation Weight = Force of Gravity X Mass (W=Fg*m) Weight therefore varies depending on the strength of gravity eg.(Jupiter Vs Earth..etc)

Answer 3

Your weight is the amount of force your body applies to the earth due to gravity. You'd weigh less on the moon and more on Jupiter.

Mass is really nothing more than how hard it is to move something. It's harder to move a lead golf ball than it is to move a regular golf ball so the lead one is more massive. Your mass is the same on earth as it is in space or on Jupiter.

Several people answered that an object's mass is the amount matter it consists of. That's not quite true. Einstein taught us that E=mc^2. Thus if the "E" (energy) of an object increases the "m" (mass) also increases. If you apply energy to an object to make it move faster it's mass increases. We don't notice this change of mass in our everyday world but if you're going near light speed it becomes important.

Answer 4

Mass is the amount of space a given object takes up. Weight is how hard gravity pulls on a given object.

Answer 5

Mass remains constant, while weight changes with the environment. In water, space, smaller or larger planet, blackhole for example.

Answer 6

mass is the amount of matter in an object and weight is the amount of gravity on that object