Experiment: Relating Mass to Weight
Honors Physics
For this experiment, you will be given metal weights which have labels that say their
mass. For different amounts of mass, you will use a spring scale to measure the weight.
Question: How is the mass of an object related to its weight?
Hypothesis: ______________________________________________________________________
You will not be given a procedure for this experiment. You must work with your group
members to determine your procedure. Take pictures of your measurements and
procedure during the experiment to include in your lab report.
Hints and Requirements:
1) Obviously, the more data points you have, the better your results will be. Try to
take as many different measurements as possible.
2) You have two different spring scales that you are using for this experiment.
Ideally, you will use both at some point during this experiment. Discuss with your
group members the benefits and drawbacks of each of the spring scales. The
measurements in your data chart must have the correct number of significant
figures (which may be different depending on the spring scale used for the
measurement).
3) Make sure to convert the mass values from grams into kilograms. This is because
kilograms are the standard unit of measurement for mass.
4) You must include both a data chart and a graph of your results in your lab
report. After you have graphed your results, determine if there is a linear or
quadratic relationship between mass and weight. Display the best-fit equation
on your graph.
5) For our next lesson, we will learn how to calculate the weight of an object when
given its mass. Based on your results, what do you think that equation will be?
After we learn the “correct” equation, calculate the percent error for your
experiment. Explain in your lab report what the differences are between your
measured results and the results you would expect from this experiment based
on the equation that we learn.
Lab Report Rough Draft is due on OneNote by Thursday, 11/20 at the end of the day.
Lab Report Final Draft is due on OneNote by Wednesday, 11/25 at the end of the day.