Scribd
Upload
67 views5 pages

Grade 4

Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the force exerted on an object by gravity. On Earth, mass and weight have the same numerical value, but weight changes depending on location and gravity while mass remains constant. The gravity and calculated weight of a person varies significantly on other planets and astronomical objects based on their mass and distance from their center of gravity.

Uploaded by

Llyod Delag
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
67 views5 pages

Grade 4

Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the force exerted on an object by gravity. On Earth, mass and weight have the same numerical value, but weight changes depending on location and gravity while mass remains constant. The gravity and calculated weight of a person varies significantly on other planets and astronomical objects based on their mass and distance from their center of gravity.

Uploaded by

Llyod Delag
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

What Is the Difference Between Weight and Mass?

Mass vs Weight: Comparing and Understanding the Differences

The terms "mass" and "weight" are used interchangeably in ordinary


conversation, but the two words don't mean the same thing. The difference
between mass and weight is that mass is the amount of matter in a material, while
weight is a measure of how the force of gravity acts upon that mass.

• Mass is the measure of the amount of matter in a body. Mass is denoted


using m or M.
• Weight is the measure of the amount of force acting on a mass due to
the acceleration due to gravity. Weight usually is denoted by W. Weight is
mass multiplied by the acceleration of gravity (g).

For the most part, when comparing mass and weight on Earth—without
moving!—the values for mass and weight are the same. If you change your
location with respect to gravity, mass will remain unchanged, but weight will not.
For example, your body's mass is a set value, but your weight is different on the
Moon compared with on Earth.
How Much Do You Weigh on Other Planets?
While a person's mass doesn't change elsewhere in the solar system, the
acceleration due to gravity and weight varies dramatically. The calculation of
gravity on other bodies, as on Earth, depends not just on mass but also on how
far the "surface" is from the center of gravity. On Earth, for example, your weight
is slightly lower on a mountain top than at sea level. The effect becomes even
more dramatic for large bodies, such as Jupiter. While the gravity exerted by
Jupiter due to its mass is 316 times greater than that of Earth, you wouldn't
weigh 316 times more because its "surface" (or the cloud level we call the surface)
is so far out from the center.

Other celestial bodies have different values of gravity than Earth does. To get
your weight, simply multiply by the appropriate number. For example, a 150-
pound person would weigh 396 pounds on Jupiter, or 2.64 times their weight on
Earth.
You may be surprised by your weight on other planets. It makes sense that a
person would weigh about the same on Venus, because that planet is about the
same size and mass as Earth. However, it may seem odd that you'd actually weigh
less on the gas giant Uranus. Your weight would be only slightly higher on Saturn
or Neptune. Although Mercury is much smaller than Mars, your weight would be
about the same. The Sun is much more massive than any other body, yet you'd
"only" weigh about 28 times more. Of course, you'd die on the Sun from the
massive heat and other radiation, but even if it were cold, the intense gravity on a
planet that size would be deadly.

You might also like