# data[].attributes.headline
Everything is Made of Atoms Video (watched in class)

# data[].attributes.subject
Everything is Made of Atoms Video (watched in class)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Solubility Curves | Properties of Matter | Chemistry | FuseSchool

# data[].attributes.headline
Decipher between Atoms, Molecules and Compounds GAME!

# data[].attributes.subject
Decipher between Atoms, Molecules and Compounds GAME!

# data[].attributes.body
Re-watch this video from class to learn about mass!

# data[].attributes.body
Watch this video and then answer the questions on the task cards.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Solids, Liquids, Gases: StudyJams! Science | Scholastic.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Water can be a solid, a liquid, or a gas. So can other forms of matter. This activity will teach students about how forms of matter can change states.

# data[].attributes.body
Read this article and then answer the questions on the task cards.

# data[].attributes.headline
What Is The Difference Between Mass And Weight?

# data[].attributes.subject
What Is The Difference Between Mass And Weight?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Article Category: Units |

Right girls and boys, it's time to dip our toes into the wonderful world of science and explore the difference between mass and weight.

Most of you already use these two words on an almost daily basis (especially if, like me, you're conscious of your weight and spend hours agonising over how much muscle mass you built during your last visit to the gym). But do you really know the difference between weight and mass?

Have you been confusing mass with weight? It's very easy to do when you're not entirely sure of how science actually defines them. Even though they're both linked, there is a basic difference. I've put together a fairly comprehensive description for you which, importantly, is written in layman's terms and not scientific babble! Here goes...

What is mass?

Mass is a scientific measure of the amount of matter an object is made up of. No matter where you are at given moment in time, mass is constant. So, whether you're walking to the shop to stock up on groceries or bouncing around on the moon, your mass is the same. Obviously, if you're on a diet that's not the answer you want to hear but don't panic - we'll get to the all-important definition of weight shortly.

Some other key points about mass

1. Mass is indestructible. As you've seen above, no matter where you are in the universe your mass will never change

2. Mass can never be zero. What we mean by this is that everything in the universe has mass. If it didn't it simply wouldn't exist

3. Mass is not related to gravity, centrifugal force, etc and these forces have no effect whatsoever on your mass

4. Mass is commonly measured in kilograms and grams.

Hopefully, the descriptions above have given you a good idea of what mass really is. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that this unit of measure is not important - it is. After all, without the huge mass that makes up planet Earth we'd have no gravity - a great way to save money on fuel as you can simply float to work, but not so great when you're trying to drink your morning espresso on your way to the office.

What is weight?

Weight is a form of measurement that is dependent on gravity and, unlike mass, your weight can vary depending on where you are in the universe.

Weight is a pretty important measure not only to dieters the world over but also to the scientists and egg heads who design things like space shuttles and boats - opposite end of the spectrum, but it's all about perspective.

But how can weight vary whilst mass has to remain constant? It's fairly simple: weight is a variable i.e. it can change based on the amount of gravitational pull an object exerts on a body. Scientists have defined weight using this equation:

Formula: Weight (W) = Mass (M) multiplied by gravitational acceleration (g). (W = mg)

Simple, right?

Some key points about weight

1. The weight of an object changes based on where it is. If you've decided to visit the moon to test out this theory then you'll find that, in a matter of hours, you will have slashed your weight by two thirds (in your face, Slimming World!)

2. Weight is a vector and its direction of pull is towards the centre of the planet you're stood on. What? Sorry, I did promise layman's terms: gravity, which is created by the mass of an object, moves towards the centre of the object and it is gravity that determines your, or any other object's, weight.

3. The weight of any given object can go up or down depending on the amount of gravity acting on it. More gravity - the heavier the object. Less gravity - the lighter the object.

4. Unlike mass, weight can be zero. An example of this is an astronaut floating in space - there's no gravity acting on his body and, therefore, he has no weight.

5. Weight is commonly measured in Newtons.

Mass and weight example - the moon

In the below example, we've featured an astronaut on earth and on the moon. The Moon's gravity is much less than the Earth's gravity - approximately one sixth. So, a 100 kg astronaut weighs 980N on Earth. On the Moon, the astronaut would weigh only 162.2N. However, the astronaut's mass is 100kg where-ever they are.

Weight on Earth: 100kg x 9.8m/s ² = 980N.
Weight on Moon: 100kg x 1.622 m/s ² = 162.2N.

The difference between mass and weight - clarification

Ok, hopefully we've cleared up any lingering doubts you may have about the whole mass vs weight debate - mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object and weight is the amount of force that gravity has on an object. As you can see, it's not quite a clear cut topic, but do keep these points in mind and prepare to wow your friends and family with your newfound knowledge of the scientific arts.

If you want to convert between different units of mass and weight, why not use the weight conversion tool.

Written by James Redden

Rate this article

Please rate this article using the star rater below. If there is anything missing from the article, or any information you would like to see included, please contact me.

Last update: 14 February 2018

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is The Difference Between Mass And Weight?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Article Category: Units | Right girls and boys, it's time to dip our toes into the wonderful world of science and explore the difference between mass and weight. Most of you already use these two words on an almost daily basis (especially if, like me, you're conscious of your weight and spend hours agonising over how much muscle mass you built during your last visit to the gym).

# data[].attributes.body
Read the passage and watch the video embedded in the passage. Then answer the "review and explore more" questions at the bottom of the reading. You can hand write or type your answers. Bring printed copy to class on Thursday.

# data[].attributes.body
Play this game to test your TBB skills!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Triple-Beam Balance Challenge (0.1 g)

In this activity you will need to successfully determine the mass of 10 different objects, while getting as few wrong as possible. Your answer must be within 0.1 gram of the actual mass of the object.

When you are ready to start this activity, click on the begin button. When you get your 10th correct answer, you will get a certificate that you can share with your teacher letting your teacher know how you did.

Enter Name Before Starting:

Your browser does not support HTML 5.0 Canvas...get a better browser!!!

Triple Beam Completion Certificate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Triple-Beam Balance Challenge (0.1 g) In this activity you will need to successfully determine the mass of 10 different objects, while getting as few wrong as possible. Your answer must be within 0.1 gram of the actual mass of the object. When you are ready to start this activity, click on the begin button.

# data[].attributes.body
Fill out your "test tube" chart while watching this video.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn,Play and Explore by using interactive PLIX.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Water is the only common substance that is naturally found as a solid, liquid or gas. Solids, liquids and gases are known as states of matter. Before we look at why things are called solids, liquids or gases, we need to know more about matter.

Matter is everything around us

Matter can be a confusing word because it has several meanings. We often hear phrases like "What is the matter?" or "It doesn't matter". Scientists have a different meaning for matter - matter is anything that occupies space and has mass.

Matter is made up of tiny particles. These can be atoms or groups of atoms called molecules. Atoms are like individual LEGO blocks. They are the smallest unit that anything can be broken down into without doing something extreme (like hitting a LEGO block with a hammer or smashing atoms in the Large Hadron Collider.) If atoms are like LEGO blocks, molecules are the structures you build with them. The physical characteristics of atoms and molecules decide the form or state the matter is in.

Solid

Right now, you are probably sitting on a chair, using a mouse or a keyboard that is resting on a desk - all these things are solids. Something is usually described as a solid if it can hold its own shape and is hard to compress (squash). The particles in most solids are closely packed together. Even though the particles are locked into place and cannot move or slide past each other, they still vibrate a tiny bit.

Ice is water in its solid form or state. Ice keeps its shape when frozen, even if it is removed from its container. However, ice is different from most solids: its molecules are less densely packed than in liquid water. This is why ice floats.

Liquid

The simplest way to determine if something is a liquid is to ask this question: If I try and move it from one container to another (i.e. by pouring), will it conform to (take on the shape of) the new container?

If you have a glass of water and pour it into another glass, it clearly conforms - it takes on the shape of the glass. If you spill the water, it will go everywhere. Because it isn't in a container, it conforms to the shape of the floor, making a big puddle!

In most liquids, the particles are less densely packed, giving them the ability to move around and slide past each other. While a liquid is easier to compress than a solid, it is still quite difficult - imagine trying to compress water in a confined container!

Water is an example of a liquid, and so are milk, juice and lemonade.

Find out more about water by looking at our wide range of resources under the water topic.

Gas

The atoms and molecules in gases are much more spread out than in solids or liquids. They vibrate and move freely at high speeds. A gas will fill any container, but if the container is not sealed, the gas will escape. Gas can be compressed much more easily than a liquid or solid. (Think about a diving tank - 600 L of gas is compressed into a 3 L cylinder.) Right now, you are breathing in air - a mixture of gases containing many elements such as oxygen and nitrogen.

Water vapour is the gaseous form or state of water. Unlike ice or water, water vapour is invisible. We exhale water vapour whenever we breathe out. We cannot see the water vapour as we exhale, but if we hold our eyeglasses or smartphone to our mouths, we can see the water vapour condensing (becoming liquid) on these objects.

Other states of matter

We've known about solids, liquids and gases for hundreds of years, but scientists have discovered other states. One state is plasma, which naturally occurs in lightning, and we create it in fluorescent light bulbs and plasma TVs. Another state of matter is Bose-Einstein condensate, but this state only occurs with super-low temperatures.

Nature of science

Related content

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Water is the only common substance that is naturally found as a solid, liquid or gas. Solids, liquids and gases are known as states of matter. Before we look at why things are called solids, liquids or gases, we need to know more about matter.

# data[].attributes.body
Watch this video to determine the signs of when a chemical or physical change is happening.

# data[].attributes.body
Watch this video to answer the Analysis question on your lab sheet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Are Endothermic & Exothermic Reactions | Chemistry | FuseSchool