
Weight is a measurement of how much the force of gravity acts on a given amount of mass.Moon) to measure it's mass, you'll always get the same result. Or copper and take it to different places on Earth (or even the Mass is the amount of matter something is made from.Weight (red) is how much force acts on your mass. So what is the difference?Īrtwork: Mass (blue) is how much "stuff" you're made from. Kilograms, pounds, stones, ounces, and grams are all units of Most of the time, when we're talking about weight, we actually mean Aren't pounds a measurement of force not mass?īefore we go any further, let's be clear about the difference between weight and mass.These scales are on display at the National Trust's historic Saltram House in Devon, England. You put your letter on one pan and put some weights on the other until the needle in the middle exactly balances (points straight down). The balance works like a see-saw, swinging from side to side until the weight on the left pan equals that on the right pan. Photo: The simplest way to weigh: an old-fashioned set of brass weights and a balance for measuring letters before you post them. But what is weight, exactly, and how do you measure it in practice? Let's take a closer look! World driven by weight, accurate ways of weighing are very important. (British and Irish pounds, forĮxample, originally weighed exactly one pound.) With so much of our In some countries, even the money in your Things from a grocery store, the price you pay for most goods will beīased on their weight. Probably take it to a Post Office to have it weighed. If you're sending a letter or a parcel, you


You're having breakfast, you might weigh out what to eat by filling aīowl with cereal. How many times do you weigh things in the course of a day? If you're on a diet, chancesĪre you stand on scales each morning to check your progress.
