Name: ________________________

Mass vs. Weight

In this lab we are going to be exploring the ways mass and weight are measured and
the units for them. Pay attention to how the balance and spring scale work and the units
they have on them.

Materials- One triple beam balance and one 5 newton spring scale per group. Three or
four objects to be massed and weighed.

Procedure-

1- Get your materials. Before you start to measure your objects you need to zero
our your balance and spring scale.
2- Mass all of your objects and record the data on the data table below.
3- Repeat using the spring scale.
4- Make sure that you put the correct units on your data table.

Data-

objects mass (g) weight (N)

Analysis-

1- Which measurement involved gravity?

2- Which measurement used a known object to measure against?
3- What would a bathroom scale measure?
4- If you found your weight was 475 N, what would your mass be?
(Hint: 1 kg = 10 N)
Force, Energy, & Motion - Weight and Mass
Sometimes people use the words weight and mass to mean the same thing. This, however, is
not accurate. Weight is related to mass, but it is not the same. Scientists measure weight using
a unit called the newton (N). Usually we refer to weight in pounds and ounces. Weight is a
measure of how gravity affects the mass of an object.
Mass is the amount of matter in an object and does not change with location. Scientists
measure mass using a unit called the gram (g). If an object is moved to a location of greater
gravitational force, such as Jupiter, its weight will increase, but mass still remains the same. The
only way to change the mass of an object is to take away part of the object or add to it.
An object with a mass of one kilogram (kg) has the same mass on another planet, like Jupiter.
However, because Jupiter is larger, the weight of the object would be different. In other words,
the two planets would exert a different gravitational force on the same object.
Look closely at the images below. The same scientist is seen in each image. The comparisons
between weight and mass here are based on data from Earth and its moon.
Analysis:

1. What is the mass of the scientist?

2. Which of these two objects is exerting the greater gravitational force - the Earth
or its moon?
3. Which is a more accurate measurement - mass or weight?

Multiple Choice

1- Which of the following characteristics of a spaceship would change if it traveled to the moon?
a. Density
b. Weight
c. Mass
d. Volume

2- What characteristic remains constant regardless of a change in gravity?

a. Momentum
b. Weight
c. Mass
d. Speed

3- Which of the following objects has the greatest amount of gravitational force acting on Earth?
a. A golf ball
b. A bowling ball
c. An 8th grade student
d. A car

4- As the mass of an object increases, the amount of gravitational force it exerts

a. Increases
b. Decreases
c. Stays the same
d. Disappears

5- As the distance from an object increases, the amount of gravitational force felt by the object
a. Increases
b. Decreases
c. Stays the same
d. Disappears
Use the following chart to answer the next two questions.

Planet Mass of golf ball Weight of golf ball

Earth 0.045 kg .441 N
Mars 0.045 kg .169 N
Jupiter 0.045 kg 1.12 N
Pluto 0.045 kg .026 N

6- Which planet has the strongest gravitational force according to the data given?
a. Earth
b. Mars
c. Jupiter
d. Pluto

7- Which planet has the least mass according to the data given?
a. Earth
b. Mars
c. Jupiter
d. Pluto

Use the chart below to answer the next two questions. It compares how high a student could jump on
different planets due to the planet’s gravity.

Planet Surface Gravity Jump Height

Saturn 1.07 N 28 cm
Uranus .92 N 32 cm
Neptune 1.12 N x
Pluto .06 N 500 cm

8- Which planet has the greatest surface gravity?

a. Saturn
b. Uranus
c. Neptune
d. Pluto

9- What size planet would you expect to jump the highest on?
a. Very small
b. Small
c. Average
d. Large

10- Using the information in the table, what would you estimate the jump height of Neptune to be?
a. 34 cm
b. 30 cm
c. 26 cm
d. 50 cm
11- Which of the following best restates how Earth’s gravitational force on an object depends upon
the distance of the object from Earth?
a. The closer an object is to Earth, the less the attraction of gravity
b. The further two objects are from one another the greater the attraction
c. Earth’s gravitational force is proportional to its distance from the sun
d. The further an object is from Earth, the less affect Earth’s gravity has on It

12- Which of the following is an example of how a scientist could help an engineer design and build
a bridge?
a. Test a model of the bridge
b. Take photographs of existing bridges
c. Discover what traffic patterns are in the city
d. Find out what kinds of bridges people find attractive

13- Long ago people harnessed the energy in running water by using water wheels to turn a grinding
stone. How has science influenced advances in this technology?
a. Scientists discovered how to create electricity using moving water
b. Scientists built dams that did not need moving water to create energy
c. Scientists learned how running water could be changed into fossil fuels
d. Scientists experimented with the force of gravity and found what causes it

14- How does understanding gravity help a chair designer?

a. The chair must be attractive enough for people to want to buy it
b. The chair must be strong enough to hold people’s weight
c. The chair must be the same shape as other types of chairs
d. The chair must be made out of materials that are easy to find

15- Catapults were early weapons that used leverage to overcome gravity for a launched object.
What happened to the design of catapults as time went by?
a. Catapults were made to work without using leverage
b. A completely new design made it work without adding energy
c. Catapults were designed to work without using gravity
d. New types were made with different materials and shapes

16- Isaac Newton discovered that large masses have more gravity than small masses. What evidence
supports this discovery?
a. The larger sun holds the smaller planets in orbit
b. Earth allows smaller objects to escape its gravity
c. Objects in space are sometimes weightless
d. Nothing can escape Earth’s gravity or atmosphere

17- If astronauts traveled to another planet and discovered that gravity worked in reverse, what
would scientists do?
a. Revise what they know about gravity in light of the new evidence
b. Reject the new evidence because it does not fit with what we already know
c. Accept that the old ideas did not correctly describe gravity on Earth
d. Decide to stop all research on gravity until the rocket returned home