Film title: Mass
Imagine if you could photograph an object and keep zooming in.
Eventually, you'd be able to see all the tiny particles that everything is made of.
This "stuff" is known as matter.
matter
The amount of matter in an object is called its mass.
mass
Mass is measured in grams and kilograms.
object's mass
the amount of matter
measured in grams and kilograms
An object's mass will affect its gravity.
The greater an object's mass, the stronger its force of gravity.
So Earth, which has a larger mass than the Moon, has a greater force of gravity than the Moon.
larger mass
stronger gravitational pull
People often confuse mass and weight.
mass
weight
They believe they are the same thing, but they are not.
As we know, an object's mass is its amount of matter, which never changes.
An object's weight however, is a measure of the force of gravity acting on it.
This is measured in newtons.
object's weight
force of gravity acting on it
measured in newtons
If the force of gravity acting on an object changes...
Its weight changes too.
On Earth, a ball is pulled to the ground by a strong gravitational force.
On the Moon, the gravitational force is weaker.
The ball is pulled to the surface, but at a lesser rate.
Its mass remains the same, but its weight is now less than it was on Earth.
In open space, where no gravitational force acts on the ball, it floats.
Its mass is still the same as it always was, but it is now weightless.
mass
weight
gravity
Eventually, you'd be able to see all the tiny particles that everything is made of.
This "stuff" is known as matter.
matter
The amount of matter in an object is called its mass.
mass
Mass is measured in grams and kilograms.
object's mass
the amount of matter
measured in grams and kilograms
An object's mass will affect its gravity.
The greater an object's mass, the stronger its force of gravity.
So Earth, which has a larger mass than the Moon, has a greater force of gravity than the Moon.
larger mass
stronger gravitational pull
People often confuse mass and weight.
mass
weight
They believe they are the same thing, but they are not.
As we know, an object's mass is its amount of matter, which never changes.
An object's weight however, is a measure of the force of gravity acting on it.
This is measured in newtons.
object's weight
force of gravity acting on it
measured in newtons
If the force of gravity acting on an object changes...
Its weight changes too.
On Earth, a ball is pulled to the ground by a strong gravitational force.
On the Moon, the gravitational force is weaker.
The ball is pulled to the surface, but at a lesser rate.
Its mass remains the same, but its weight is now less than it was on Earth.
In open space, where no gravitational force acts on the ball, it floats.
Its mass is still the same as it always was, but it is now weightless.
mass
weight
gravity
What is the difference between mass and weight?
Learning points
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