When talking about weight and mass many people assume that they are the same thing. Well they are very different. 1KG = 9.8N
Mass Mass is the measurement of the amount of matter in an object. Unlike weight mass does not depend on gravity, and is not affected by it in any way. Due to that its measurements on one particular planet are precise for all planets. As it was already mentioned mass is not a force, and since only forces are measured in newtons, mass is measured in kilograms or lbs.
Weight
Weight is the measurement of the force of gravity pulling on an object. It is very simple to determine, just by standing on a scale. Many people assume, since when you stand on a scale your weight is shown in kilograms/pounds, that weight is measured in the units above, but it’s not. Force is measured in newtons, and weight is categorized as a force dependent on gravity, so it is measured in (n). Technically weight is measured in newtons, but many scales use kg and lbs, because those are the units people understand best. If scales suddenly switched to using newtons, it would confuse many people. Since weight is the measurement of the force of gravity acting on the object, the weight of items varies from planet to planet. Depending on the force of gravity on that particular planet. For example: If say you weigh 120 pounds on earth, when on the moon you’d weigh 20 pounds. (The force of gravity on the moon is 1/6 of the force of gravity on earth) That explains why astronauts are able to float in the air for while on the mood.
Weight vs. Mass
When talking about weight and mass many people assume that they are the same thing. Well they are very different. 1KG = 9.8NMass
Mass is the measurement of the amount of matter in an object. Unlike weight mass does not depend on gravity, and is not affected by it in any way. Due to that its measurements on one particular planet are precise for all planets. As it was already mentioned mass is not a force, and since only forces are measured in newtons, mass is measured in kilograms or lbs.
Weight
Weight is the measurement of the force of gravity pulling on an object. It is very simple to determine, just by standing on a scale. Many people assume, since when you stand on a scale your weight is shown in kilograms/pounds, that weight is measured in the units above, but it’s not. Force is measured in newtons, and weight is categorized as a force dependent on gravity, so it is measured in (n). Technically weight is measured in newtons, but many scales use kg and lbs, because those are the units people understand best. If scales suddenly switched to using newtons, it would confuse many people. Since weight is the measurement of the force of gravity acting on the object, the weight of items varies from planet to planet. Depending on the force of gravity on that particular planet. For example: If say you weigh 120 pounds on earth, when on the moon you’d weigh 20 pounds. (The force of gravity on the moon is 1/6 of the force of gravity on earth) That explains why astronauts are able to float in the air for while on the mood.Return to Home Page | Classifying Forces | Definitions | Practice Question