Name: weight changes, mass stays constant
Uploaded: 2023-04-30T10:53:36.000Z
Duration: 1 min 19 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

north-carolina-k-12-science-standard-course-of-study

North Carolina K-12 Science Standard Course of Study

9-12

Physics

motion-and-stability-forces-and-interactions

Motion and Stability- Forces and Interactions

PS.Phy.2.2

Mass and Weight

The mass of an object is a measure of the amount of matter it contains and depends on the number of atoms in it.
Its weight is the gravitational force acting on it from a larger object, like the Earth or the Moon, whichever is nearest to it.
As the amount of matter does not change in response to the applied force, the object&#39;s mass remains constant.
However, its weight depends on its location. An object on the Earth weighs differently than that on Mars or the Moon, but its mass remains the same. The weight change is due to the difference in acceleration due to gravity acting on it.
Mass can never be zero, but weight becomes zero when gravitational force does not act on it. Using this observation and Newton&#39;s second law, an object of mass m weighs m times vector g.
That is to say, the greater the mass of an object, the greater is its weight. Mass is a scalar quantity, but weight is a vector directed towards the Earth&#39;s center.

mass and weight

Mass and weight are often used interchangeably in everyday conversation. For example,&#160; medical records often show our weight in kilograms, but never in the correct units of newtons. In physics, however, there is an important distinction. Weight is the pull of the Earth on an object. It depends on the distance from the center of the Earth. Weight dramatically varies if we leave the Earth&#39;s surface, unlike mass, which does not vary with location. On the Moon, for example, the acceleration due to gravity is only 1.67 m/s2 compared to 9.8 m/s2 on Earth. Therefore, a 1.0 kg mass has a weight of 9.8 N on the Earth, but only about 1.7 N on the Moon. However, the mass of an object is the same on the Earth&#39;s surface, in orbit, or on the surface of the Moon.
When an object is dropped, it accelerates toward the center of the Earth. Newton&#39;s second law states that a net force on an object is responsible for its acceleration. If air resistance is considered negligible, the net force acting on a falling object is equal to the gravitational force, commonly known as its weight, or the force due to gravity acting on an object of mass &#39;m&#39;.
Note that, although they are closely related, weight and mass are different physical quantities. Mass is an intrinsic property of an object; it is a quantity of matter. It is tempting to equate mass to weight because most of our examples take place on the Earth, where the weight of an object varies minimally with the object&#39;s location on Earth. In addition, it is difficult to count and identify all of the atoms and molecules in an object, so mass is rarely determined in this manner.
This text is adapted from<a href="https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/5-4-mass-and-weight"> Openstax, University Physics Volume 1, Section 5.4: Mass and Weight.</a>

Mass and weight are often used interchangeably in everyday conversation. For example,&#160; medical records often show our weight in kilograms, but never ...

Education

JoVE Core

Unit 1

Newton's Laws of Motion

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

weight changes, mass stays constant

Mass and weight are related, but they are not the same. In physics, weight is the pull of the Earth on an object. It depends on how far the object is from the center of the Earth. Mass is the amount of matter in an object, and it does not change with location.

Everyday language can make this difference confusing. Medical records often list body weight in kilograms, even though the correct force unit is the newton. That can make mass and weight seem interchangeable. In physics, however, they describe different physical quantities.

Weight changes when gravity changes. On the Moon, the acceleration due to gravity is about 1.67 m/s², while on Earth it is 9.8 m/s². A 1.0 kg mass therefore weighs about 9.8 N on Earth but only about 1.7 N on the Moon. The mass stays the same on Earth, in orbit, and on the Moon.

When an object falls, it accelerates toward the center of the Earth. Newton’s second law says that a net force causes acceleration. If air resistance is negligible, the net force on a falling object is its gravitational force, also called its weight. This force acts on an object of mass m.

Mass is an intrinsic property of an object. It is the amount of matter it contains. People often mix up mass and weight because most examples happen on Earth, where weight does not change much from place to place. It is also hard to count all the atoms and molecules in an object, so mass is rarely found that way.

Weight Changes, Mass Stays Constant

force

Understanding Force in Motion

Force is a push or pull that acts on an object. It has both magnitude and direction, so force is a vector quantity. In everyday life, force appears when we open a door, walk down a street, lift a fork, or touch a baby's face. Forces also shape matter at the smallest scales. The atoms in our bodies are held together by electrical forces. The nucleus of an atom is held together by nuclear force, which is the strongest force known to us. The study of motion is called kinematics. Kinematics...

types of forces

Contact and Field Forces in Physics

Forces in physics are often grouped as contact forces and field forces. Contact forces happen when objects touch directly. Field forces act without direct physical contact. They come from a field, which is a region of space that can be detected by the force it exerts on a body. Scientists describe four fundamental force fields in nature: gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear. The gravitational field gives a body its weight. The electromagnetic field includes static...

newton's first law: introduction

Newton's First Law and Inertia

Newton's first law of motion explains inertia and how forces change motion. Motion can be striking to observe, from a dolphin jumping from water to a bird in flight or a satellite moving in orbit. The study of motion is kinematics, which describes velocity and acceleration. Dynamics goes further by examining the forces that affect moving objects and systems. Newton's laws of motion are the foundation of dynamics. They are simple in form, but they describe a wide range of natural behavior.

newton's first law: application

Newton's First Law and Friction

Newton's first law explains why friction changes an object's motion. It says that an object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion keeps moving unless a net external force acts on it. A net external force is the overall force from outside the object that causes a change in velocity, meaning a change in speed or direction. This idea gives a cause-and-effect reason for motion, rather than just describing what we see. Galileo first developed the idea behind the first law of motion, and...

internal and external forces

External Forces and Motion Changes

External forces and motion changes are linked in Newton’s first law. A net external force causes a change in motion. External forces act on an object or system from outside that object or system. Internal forces come from inside the system of interest. They act on one part of an object and are exerted by another part of the same object. These forces do not cause acceleration when the whole system is studied. When analyzing motion, the internal forces are ignored. Instead, only the external...

newton's second law

Force, Mass, and Acceleration

Newton's second law connects net force, mass, and acceleration. It explains how an object's motion changes when external forces act on it. The law gives a clear cause-and-effect link that can be used to make calculations. All external forces on a system are added together to find the net force, or F net. A larger net external force produces a larger acceleration. The acceleration points in the same direction as the net force. Mass also affects the result. A larger mass means more inertia, so...

Mass and weight are related, but they are not the same. In physics, weight is the pull of the Earth on an object. It depends on how far the object is from the center of the Earth. Mass is the amount of matter in an object, and it does not change with location. Everyday language can make this difference confusing. Medical records often list body weight in kilograms, even though the correct force unit is the newton. That can make mass and weight seem interchangeable. In physics, however, they...

weightlessness

Weightlessness in Free Fall

Weightlessness happens when contact forces disappear, even though gravity is still present. In physics, an object in free fall has only gravity acting on it. If the net external force on the object is its weight, the object is accelerating toward the center of the Earth. Galileo showed that, without air resistance, all objects fall with the same acceleration g. On Earth, falling objects are never truly in free fall because air always pushes upward with some resistance force. That is why real...

apparent weight

Scale Readings in Motion and Water

Scale readings can change when an object is moving or submerged in water. The force we call true weight is the gravitational force acting on an object. When motion or fluid forces are present, the reading can differ from that true weight. In water, this changed reading is called apparent weight, and it equals true weight minus the buoyant force. A bathroom scale in an elevator shows how this works. At rest, the scale reads the force the person pushes downward on it. The only forces on the...

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newton's third law: introduction

Newton's Third Law in Force Pairs

Newton's third law explains how force pairs work in motion and interactions. When one body exerts a force on a second body, the first body experiences a force that is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. A simple example is a person pushing on a wall. The wall pushes back on the person with an equal and opposite force. This is why Newton's third law is often described as action and reaction, where the action is the force exerted and the reaction is the force experienced afterward. <br...

newton's third law: examples

Newton's Third Law in Motion

Newton's third law explains how forces come in pairs during motion. It says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. In these examples, the two forces act on different systems, so they do not cancel each other out. A swimmer pushing off the side of a pool shows this clearly. The swimmer pushes against the wall with their feet and then accelerates in the opposite direction. The wall pushes back with an equal and opposite force. If the swimmer is the system of interest, the wall's...

drawing free-body diagrams: rules

Free-Body Diagrams for Newton’s Laws

Free-body diagrams help students map the forces acting on an object in physics. They are used often when studying and applying Newton’s laws of motion. A clear diagram makes it easier to analyze a system before solving for motion. Start by drawing the object under consideration. If the object is treated like a particle, show it as a point and place that point at the origin of an x-y coordinate system. Then add every force that acts on the object as a vector. Do not include the net force on the...

free body diagrams: examples

Free Body Diagram Force Examples

Free body diagrams show the external forces acting on an object or system. The object is drawn as a single isolated point, or free body, so the forces are easier to analyze. Only forces that come from outside the object or system are included. These forces are shown as vectors pointing away from the free body. A person sitting on a chair is a simple example. The free-body diagram has two forces. The chair exerts an upward normal force, and gravity pulls downward with the weight. A rocket sled...

inertial frames of reference

Newton's First Law and Reference Frames

Newton's first law helps identify inertial reference frames. An inertial reference frame is one in which Newton's first law holds true. In that frame, an object with no net force moves at constant velocity. A key idea is that any frame moving at constant velocity relative to an inertial frame is also inertial. For that reason, inertial frames can be found by comparing motion from one frame to another. The laws of physics do not give one inertial frame special status over another. In nature, a...

non-inertial frames of reference

Why Motion Seems Different in Accelerating Frames

A non-inertial frame of reference is a frame that accelerates, decelerates, or rotates relative to an inertial frame. In these frames, motion can look unusual because the observer is moving with the system. That is why an airplane taking off, a car turning a corner, a merry-go-round, and a tropical cyclone can all be examples of non-inertial motion. These situations can show inertial forces, which seem to appear because the frame itself is accelerating or rotating. The force does not come from...

centrifugal force

Rotating Frames and Pseudo Forces

Pseudo forces, also called fictitious forces, appear in a rotating frame of reference when compared with an inertial frame. They are not real forces. Instead, they are mathematical tools that help make Newton&amp;#39;s laws of motion easier to use in a non-inertial frame. Common examples include centrifugal, Coriolis, and Euler forces. These forces matter in mechanics, astrophysics, and fluid dynamics. In these areas, motion is often described from a frame that is not inertial. That is why...

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key terms and concepts

Learn why mass stays the same while weight changes with gravity on Earth and the Moon, and how Newton’s second law explains falling objects.

Weight Changes, Mass Stays Constant | JoVE K12

physics

JoVE Core Physics introduces the theory and application of fundamental physics topics, including kinematics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, statics, waves, and acoustics, with concise and easy-to-understand animated videos. Additionally, the scientist-in-action videos demonstrate the application of related concepts in classical and original research experiments performed in today's laboratories worldwide.

ohios-learning-standards-and-model-curriculum

Ohio’s Learning Standards and Model Curriculum

Physical Science

Forces And Motion

Forces

Forces, Momentum And Motion

newton-s-laws-applied-to-complex-problems

Newton's laws applied to complex problems

Tennessee Academic Standards

High School

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

PHYS.PS2.5

PHYS.PS2.12

Virginia  Standards of Learning

HIgh School

PS.8

PS.8.b

PH.3

PH.3.a

Arizona Science Standards

HS.P3

HS.P3U1.6

Alabama Course of Study Science

9-12.P.1.2

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

Chemistry and Physics

IPC.5

IPC.5.B

IPC.5.E

new-york-state-science-learning-standards

New York State Science Learning Standards

HS. Forces and Interactions

HS-PS2-1.

Georgia Standards of Excellence

SPS8.

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velocity-and-position-by-graphical-method

Velocity and Position by Graphical Method

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Use models (graphs, equations, diagrams) to infer motion in one dimension.

PS.Phy.1.1

Position and Displacement Vectors

To describe the motion of an object, one should first be able to describe its position (where it is at any particular time). More precisely, the position ...

average-and-instantaneous-velocity-vectors

Average and Instantaneous Velocity Vectors

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Acceleration Vectors

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Direction of Acceleration Vectors

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Projectile Motion

An object thrown in the air follows a parabolic path under the influence of Earth&#39;s gravitational force. The motion of such an object is called ...

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Projectile Motion: Equations

Projectile motion is commonly observed in our day-to-day life. For example, a basketball thrown by a player, an arrow shot from a bow, and kids jumping ...

Projectile Motion: Example

The theory of projectile motion is very useful for players of several sports to improve their performance. For example, a javelin thrower needs to throw ...

principle-linear-impulse-momentum-for-single-particle-problem

Principle of Linear Impulse and Momentum for a Single Particle: Problem Solving

Consider a massless pulley system consisting of a wooden box and a cylinder of known masses. Determine the speed of the attached objects at a specific ...

Non-uniform Circular Motion

In&#160;uniform circular motion, the particle executing circular motion has a constant speed, and the circle is at a fixed radius. However, not all ...

Relative Velocity in One Dimension

The understanding of the concept of reference frames is essential to discuss relative motion in one or more dimensions. When we say that an object has a ...

Relative Velocity in Two Dimensions

Relative velocity is the velocity of an object as observed from a particular reference frame, or the velocity of one reference frame with respect to ...

Use models (graphs, equations, diagrams) to infer motion in two dimensions.

PS.Phy.1.2

Force

Forces affect every moment of our life. Our bodies are held to the Earth by force, and they are held together by the forces of charged particles. When we ...

Types of Forces

In most situations, forces can be grouped into two categories: contact forces and field forces.&#160; Contact forces occur as a result of direct physical ...

Drawing Free-body Diagrams: Rules

The first step in describing and analyzing most phenomena in physics involves the careful drawing of a free-body diagram. Free-body diagrams are useful in ...

Free Body Diagrams: Examples

Solving problems that involve forces is easy using free-body diagrams. A free-body diagram is a sketch showing all the external forces that are acting on ...

Use free body models to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze systems of forces in one dimension and two dimensions.

PS.Phy.2.1

Newton's First Law: Introduction

Motion draws our attention. Motion itself can be beautiful, causing us to marvel at the forces needed to create spectacular sights, such as that of a ...

Newton's First Law: Application

Experience suggests that an object at rest remains at rest if left alone, and that an object in motion tends to slow down and stop unless some effort is ...

Internal and External Forces

Newton&#39;s first law states that a net external force causes a change in motion. External forces act on an object or system, originating outside of the ...

Newton's Second Law

Newton&#39;s second law is closely related to his first law of motion. It mathematically gives the cause-and-effect relationship between force and changes ...

Weightlessness

When an object is dropped, it accelerates toward the center of the Earth. If the net external force on the object is its weight, it is said to be in free ...

Apparent Weight

True weight is the measure of the gravitational force acting on an object. However, if the object accelerates, its measured weight is different from its ...

Newton's Third Law: Introduction

Whenever one body exerts a force on a second body, the first body experiences a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, to the force that it ...

Newton's Third Law: Examples

Newton&#39;s third law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Consider a swimmer pushing off the side of a pool. They push against ...

first-law-particles-in-one-dimensional-equilibrium

First Law: Particles in One-dimensional Equilibrium

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first-law-particles-in-two-dimensional-equilibrium

First Law: Particles in Two-dimensional Equilibrium

Recall that a particle in equilibrium is one for which the external forces are balanced. Static equilibrium involves objects at rest, and dynamic ...

Second Law: Motion under Same Force

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Carry out investigations to explain the interactions of forces on an object according to Newton's Laws of Motion.

Analyze the motion of objects using time, distance, displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration.

Weight Changes, Mass Stays Constant

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