Mass Versus Weight
 Mass
Mass
is the quantity of matter in an
object.
 Mass is one of the properties of matter
– this means that we can describe matter
by measuring its mass.
 We use a triple-beam balance to measure
mass.
 Mass is measured in grams, or any metric
conversion of a gram.
Weight
Weight is another property of matter – this
means that we can describe matter by
measuring its weight.
 Although we use the word weight in
everyday language to refer to how many
pounds and ounces something is, what we
are really referring to is the object’s mass.
 In science, weight is not the same thing as
mass.

 Weight
is the product of the object’s
mass and the effects of gravity.
 Weight is a Force!
 Because weight is a force, it is
measured using a spring scale and
measured in Newtons.
 The
force of gravity is the attractive
force, or pull, between the earth and
all other objects.
 Because gravity is a force, and it
affects an object’s weight, weight is a
force as well!
 The closer to the surface of the earth
an object is, the stronger the
gravitational attraction on the object.
What happens to the
weight of an object as it
moves away from the
Earth?
 The
force of attraction between the
object and the Earth decreases and thus
the object’s weight becomes less.
 Keep in mind, the matter that makes up
the object is still present, and unchanged.
 All the same atoms and molecules are
there, arranged in the same size and
shape; so the object’s mass does not
change.