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10 grade science

Difference between mass and weight?

Profile image of Aniket Singh
1 Year agoGrade
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1 Answer

Profile image of Askiitians Tutor Team
1 Year ago

Mass and weight are two different concepts that are often used interchangeably but have distinct meanings in physics. Here's the difference between them:

Mass: Mass is a fundamental property of matter and refers to the amount of matter an object contains. It is a scalar quantity and is measured in units such as kilograms (kg) or grams (g). Mass is a constant value and does not change with location or gravitational force. In other words, an object will have the same mass regardless of where it is located in the universe.

Weight: Weight, on the other hand, is the force exerted on an object due to gravity. It is a vector quantity and is measured in units of force, such as newtons (N). Weight depends on the mass of an object and the gravitational field strength at its location. The weight of an object can vary depending on the strength of gravity. For example, an object will weigh less on the Moon compared to Earth because the Moon has a weaker gravitational pull.

To summarize, mass is the amount of matter in an object and is constant, while weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity and can vary depending on the gravitational field strength.