Name: ____________________________
Date: _______________________
Mass is the amount of matter that something is made of. For example the earth is made up
of a very large amount of matter so it has a large mass. While a peanut is made of a very
small amount of matter and has a smaller mass. Remember that even a speck of dust is
made of matter and has mass.
1. What is the metric unit used to measure mass? ______________________________
2. What lab instrument would you use to measure mass? ____________________________
Now practice measuring the mass of matter using a triple beam balance. At the lab station
you will find a series of blocks. Use the triple beam balance to measure the mass of the
blocks to the nearest 1/10 (.1) of a gram. Record your measurement in the table below.
Cube #
Mass in Grams
Mass
Kilograms
in Mass in Milligrams
Weight and mass are not the same thing, but the weight of an object depends entirely on its
mass. Weight is the amount of force with which gravity pulls down on an object. The weight
of an object depends on its mass, the earths mass, and the distance between the center of
the object and the center of the earth. The weight of an object varies from one place to
place, but its mass is unchanging, no matter where it is. For example, the farther an object
gets from the surface of the earth, the less it weighs; but its mass remains the same. Weight is
measured in Newtons, N.
1. If you had two empty boxes that were identical, would the mass of the boxes be the
same or different? _______________________
a. Would their weight be the same or different? ____________________________
b. If you took one box up on an airplane and left the other one on earth, would
the two boxes have the same mass? ______________________________________
c. Would the two boxes have the same weight? ______________________________
2. Which weighs more, a pound of sand or a pound of feathers? ______________________
3. Which has more mass, a large block of plastic or a small block of the same plastic?
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4. Which has a greater mass, a block of lead or the same size block of plastic?
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5. If a man were to drop a brick on his foot in outer space, would it hurt as much as it
would
here
on
earth?
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Explain your answer.
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______________________
All objects have weight on earth because their mass is affected by the earth’s gravitational
force. Because the mass of the earth does not change, the relationship between mass and
weight on earth does not change. You will measure the mass and weight of several objects
to verify the relationship between mass and weight on the surface of the earth. Using
objects from around the classroom complete the following chart using the electronic
balances to measure the mass of each object and a spring-loaded scale to measure the
weight of each object.
Object
Mass & Weight Measurements
Mass (g)
Weight (N)
1. Using your data, construct a graph of weight (y-axis) versus mass (x-axis). Draw a line
that best fits your data points.
2. What is the relationship between mass and weight on Earth? Does your graph confirm
the relationship between mass and weight on earth? Explain.
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