What is the difference between mass and weight bbc bitesize

Weight is measured in newtons. Mass is measured in kilograms. The mass of a given object is the same everywhere, but its weight can change.

We use balances to measure weights and masses. Weight is the result of gravity. This means an object with a mass of 1 kg would be attracted towards the centre of Earth by a force of 10 N. We feel forces like this as weight. You would weigh less on the Moon because the gravitational field strength of the Moon is one-sixth of that of Earth 1. But note that your mass would stay the same. On Earth, if you drop an object it accelerates towards the centre of the planet.

The weight of an object is calculated using this equation:. Everything on Earth is pulled down towards the ground by gravity. The weight of an object is how hard gravity pulls down on it. Larger objects get pulled more strongly, so they weigh more than smaller objects. When scientists want to talk about how much stuff is inside something, they talk about its mass.

Objects with a larger mass contain more matter. Mass is weighed in grams and kilograms or pounds and ounces. Forces are normally measured in Newtons, but weight is special. We often measure it in kilograms as though it were mass. In space , where there is no gravity , objects are weightless. But they still have mass , so it still hurts if they bump into you. This device is called a forcemeter, and it is used to measure weight.