The total amount of inert matter in an object is called the mass of that object. Whereas, The force with which the earth attracts an object towards its centre is called the weight of that object.
Relationship between mass and weight: Weight of object = Mass of object x Gravitational force.
Differences between Mass and Weight
Following are the main differences between Mass and Weight:
| Mass | Weight |
|---|---|
| The amount of inert matter in an object is called its mass. | The force with which the earth attracts the object towards its centre is called the weight of the object. |
| The mass of an object remains constant at different locations. | The weight of the object varies at different places. |
| The mass has only magnitude, not direction. So mass is a scalar quantity. | Weight has both magnitude and direction. So the weight is a vector quantity. |
| The mass of the object is measured with the help of a beam balance or electric balance. | The weight of the object is measured with spring balance. |
| Units of mass in CGS, FPS system and SI are gram, pound and kilogram respectively. | Units of weight in CGS, FPS system and SI are dyne, poundal and newton respectively. |
| The mass value of an object can never be zero. | The object’s weight value can be zero. [The weight of an object at the centre of the earth is zero] |
The weight of an object at a given place is proportional to its mass, that is, if the mass of the object increases, the weight will increase and if the mass decreases, the weight will decrease.
Again if the mass is constant, increasing the value of the gravitational force increases the weight and decreasing the value of the gravitational force decreases the weight.