The term “mass” is defined as the quantity of matter in an
object. It is a constant for that object, regardless of location in the universe. The
mass of an object determines the degree of its resistance to acceleration or
deceleration, or change in direction if moving. These are aspects of
inertia.
Weight, although related to mass, is
not the same thing. The force of gravity on a body is defined as its weight. At any
given location in the universe, two objects with the same mass will have equal weights.
But if you take two objects of equal mass, and locate them at points with differing
distances from the source of gravity (such as the North and South poles of the earth),
the object that is closer to the center of the earth will have the higher
weight.
A related term is density. It refers to
mass per unit volume. Balsa wood has low density compared to high-density
lead.
The first reference defines mass and
weight, and has simple questions that illustrate your understanding of the two
terms.
The second reference further explains the
terms, including density.
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