Learn more physics!
Q:
what is the difference between mass and weight
- mohammed (age 11)
san jose,ca,usa
A:
Mohammed -
Awesome question! The difference between mass and weight is that
mass is something that everything has no matter where it is. So
something's mass will be the same if it's on the Earth, in space, on
the moon, or anywhere! Weight, on the other hand, depends on gravity.
Unlike mass, your weight is different on the Earth than it would be on
the moon. This is because there's more gravity on the Earth than there
is on the moon. In space, you'd have no weight at all. Of course, the
two are connected. Something with a bigger mass will have a bigger
weight than something with a smaller mass if they were both in the same
place.
So weight actually depends on both mass and gravity!
-Tamara
(published on 10/22/2007)
Follow-up on this answer.
