How is Mass measured in Physics?
Mass is a fundamental characteristic property of matter. It exists independently and is autonomous of every other boundary, such as the temperature, pressure, and the area of the object in space. The matter has mass and consumes space. These two things are trained to us when we can get a handle on these ideas. A matter is anything you can contact truly, so all you see and communicate with around you have a mass.
Mass commonly is mistaken for another boundary. This disarray happens because of the way that this boundary is erroneously utilized globally rather than mass because of its comfort and because of the way that we gauge things to discover their mass. This parameter is called weight, and weight is measured in Newton.
Definition of Mass
To define ‘how to measure mass’ alludes to the measure of matter in a specific object. This estimation of the measure of matter, for example, the mass of an object, is an inherent estimation of that body. Mass decides the quality of its common gravitational attraction for different bodies, its resistance from speeding up because of a force, inertia, and mass can likewise be utilized to determine the vitality substance of an example through the hypothesis of Relativity utilizing Albert Einstein's E = mc2.
Mass of an object is measured by the SI Unit of mass that is the kilogram (kg). A kilogram can be separated into 1000 grams, and it was first characterized as one cubic decimetre of water at the point of melting of ice, for example, 0 oC. Such changes in the fundamental units of science can cause a catastrophe, which is why the Kilogram was re-imagined as the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram.
Unit of Atomic Mass
Mass of an object is measured by the kilogram. But for excessively little and larger items we utilize different units:
Ton (metric ton) is equivalent to 1000 kg
The Atomic Mass Unit to kg is utilized while managing atoms and molecules whose masses are little to such an extent that the kilogram is not appropriate. One atomic mass unit is characterized as 1/12th the mass of a Carbon-12 atom. The estimation of 1 atomic mass unit is acquired as 1.66 x 10-27.
How do you Measure Mass?
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To explain ‘how to measure mass,’ the mass of an object is measured by a balance. The obscure mass of a body is contrasted and a known estimation of mass. We acquire the estimation of an obscure mass as far as a known value of mass. A parity works in space and spots of no gravity since changes in gravity influence both the majority on balance similarly.
Definition of Weight
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Mass isn't equivalent to weight (weight is measured in newton). While the mass is the characteristic property of the body, weight is the proportion of the power applied to the mass of the body because of gravity. Mass alludes to a general estimation of the item though weight is a limited translation of the object's mass. Weight is the impact of gravity, and consequently, we portray weight with the formula;
W = mg
Where m is the mass, and g is the acceleration because of gravity at that specific area. The weight is measured in Newton. For instance, an item with a mass of 50 kg encounters a gravitational power, for example, weight, which is equivalent to 50 x 9.8 = 490 Newton. A similar item but with a similar mass of 50 kg will gauge 1/6th on the moon what it did on Earth. This way, we can explain ‘how to measure mass.’
Mass-Gravity-Weight
We generally use these terms interchangeably without knowing the difference but little do we realize that they are not the same. Mass of any given object is the total matter in it at that point in time whereas the weight of an object is the total force acting upon the object. On the other hand, weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity and it changes from place to place if the gravitational force changes. For example, when we throw a plastic bottle in the water, it floats and we can consider the weight of the ball is “0”. But, this does not mean that the mass of the ball is also “0” as we can clearly see the ball is made up of some matter. The gravitational force exerted on an object is directly proportional to the mass of the object which means, when the mass of the object is heavy, it exerts more gravitational force and when the mass of the object is less, it exerts comparatively lesser gravitational force.
Solved Questions
1. Explain the Formula of the Mass.
Ans: Mass can be calculated with three potential ways:
Mass=density*volume (m=ρV)
Mass= force/acceleration (m=F/a)
Mass= weight/gravitational acceleration (m=W/g)
Mass is a fundamental property that cannot be defined as per the other units like newton (in which weight is measured in) or joule. Other ways are also there to explain ‘how to measure mass.’
Fun Facts
The weight of the object will increase when you are close to the earth. If two cups full of dirt are taken to the high mountains, the weight of the cup will be less if we compare the weight of the cup from the sea level.
Photons are the smallest mass known to be. 5.3 times 10-63kg.
The mass of the universe is believed to be 1051 kg, number 10, followed by 50 zeroes.
FAQs on Measurement of Mass and Weight
1. What is the fundamental difference between mass and weight in physics?
The fundamental difference between mass and weight lies in their definitions and properties. Mass is the intrinsic amount of matter in an object, while weight is the gravitational force exerted on that object.
- Mass is a scalar quantity, measured in kilograms (kg), and it remains constant regardless of the object's location. It represents an object's inertia.
- Weight is a vector quantity, measured in Newtons (N), and it changes depending on the local gravitational acceleration (g). It is calculated as Weight = Mass × Gravitational Acceleration (W = mg).
2. What are the standard SI units used for the measurement of mass and weight?
In the International System of Units (SI), the standard unit for mass is the kilogram (kg). For smaller measurements, grams (g) or milligrams (mg) are used. For atomic-level particles, the atomic mass unit (amu) is used. The standard SI unit for weight is the Newton (N), as weight is a measure of force.
3. What types of instruments are used to measure mass and weight, and how do they differ?
Different instruments are used for measuring mass and weight because they measure different physical properties:
- To measure mass: A physical balance or beam balance is used. This device works by comparing an unknown mass with a known mass. Since gravity affects both sides equally, the comparison yields the object's true mass, which would be the same on the Earth or the Moon.
- To measure weight: A spring balance or a weighing scale is used. This device measures the force of gravity on an object, which is its weight. The reading on a spring balance would change if you moved from the Earth to the Moon because the gravitational pull is different.
4. How are mass and weight calculated using a formula?
Mass is an intrinsic property and is typically measured directly, not calculated from other base quantities in introductory physics. However, weight is calculated using a specific formula: W = m × g. In this formula, W is the weight in Newtons (N), m is the mass in kilograms (kg), and g is the acceleration due to gravity, which is approximately 9.8 m/s² on Earth's surface.
5. If an object has a mass of 1 kg on Earth, is its weight also 1 kg?
No, this is a common misconception. Mass and weight have different units and cannot be equated this way. An object with a mass of 1 kg has a weight of approximately 9.8 Newtons (N) on Earth. This is calculated using the formula W = mg, where m = 1 kg and g ≈ 9.8 m/s². The term 'kg' is strictly a unit of mass, not weight.
6. How does the measurement of mass and weight for an astronaut differ on Earth compared to the Moon?
An astronaut's mass remains constant whether they are on Earth, the Moon, or in space. For example, if their mass is 70 kg on Earth, it is also 70 kg on the Moon. However, their weight changes significantly. The Moon's gravitational acceleration is about 1/6th of Earth's. Therefore, a 70 kg astronaut who weighs about 686 N on Earth (70 kg × 9.8 m/s²) would weigh only about 114 N on the Moon (70 kg × 1.6 m/s²).
7. Why does an astronaut in an orbiting satellite experience 'weightlessness' even though their mass remains unchanged?
An astronaut in an orbiting satellite experiences weightlessness not because there is no gravity, but because both the astronaut and the satellite are in a constant state of freefall around the Earth. Gravity is still acting on them, keeping them in orbit. However, since everything is falling at the same rate, the astronaut does not press against the floor of the satellite, creating the sensation of having no weight. Their mass, the amount of matter in their body, is unaffected.
8. What is the concept of inertial mass, and how does it relate to gravitational mass?
Inertial mass is a measure of an object's resistance to acceleration when a force is applied. It is the 'm' in Newton's second law, F = ma. A larger inertial mass means it's harder to change the object's state of motion. Gravitational mass determines the strength of the gravitational force an object experiences or exerts. It is the 'm' in the law of universal gravitation. According to Einstein's principle of equivalence, inertial mass and gravitational mass are experimentally found to be equal, which is a fundamental concept in physics.
