Mass

Mass is a fundamental property of matter and is defined as the amount of matter present in an object and is independent of external factors such as location or the presence of gravitational fields.

  • A large object made of a given material has greater mass than a small object made of the same material because it contains more matter.
  • Mass is not the same as weight because weight varies with gravity while mass remains constant.
  • Weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity.
    • An object of a known mass weighs more on earth than on the moon due to differences in gravity.
  • The SI unit of mass is the kilogram (kg).
  • Weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity and is measured in newtons (N).
Related diagrams

Each diagram below can be viewed on its own page with a full explanation.

References