ANSWERS: 4
  • Mass is weight, so use a scale (one appropriate for the type of things you are measuring the mass of, if you are only weighing something tiny, use a small bench scale - if it is something large, use a larger scale).
  • Usually by measuring the weight of the object. Mass is releated to weight by the equation Weight = mass * g where g is the local acceleration due to gravity. Weight can be measured with a spring balance - a spring is streched in proportion to the weight applied. This actually measures weight, so there will be small variations from place to place. Or with a balance - measure the weight of your unknown mass against known masses. In school chemistry we used a balance that had hundreds of known masses, turning the knobs on the front lifted or lowered them onto the balance arm. This method measures mass absolutely. To measure mass without measuring weight, a mass can be brought close to a mass suspended on an arm of a torsion balance. The balance will twist due to to the force of gravity between the two masses. Using this method Henry Cavendish became the first man to find the mass of the Earth.
  • The easiest and most common way of measuring mass is by weighing, which uses gravity. In a two-pan balance, we compare the weight of an unknown object to that of a set of known weights: Because of this, mass is usually measured in kilograms, even though these are also units of weight. In a one-pan balance, like the one pictured here, the comparison weights are fixed, but by sliding them to different distances from the pivot, the same result is achieved. http://www.phy6.org/stargaze/Smass.htm
  • There are a couple of ways to measure mass but first we need to get the whole concept or understanding of mass. Mass and weight causes a lot of confusions amongst a lot of people. Weight is simply a measure of gravity’s effect on something and mass is the amount of matter in an object. Move to a different planet and an object’s weight will change, but it mass will be the same. The most common method to measure the mass of an object is to use a balance. Now we all know people weight stuff all the time with a balance. Well, think about it. If you go to a different planet, the balance weights change by the same factor as the object you are measuring. Your mass measured with a balance would be the same on the as it is on Earth. There are a couple of other neat tricks, but they only really work perfectly in no-gravity, no-friction environments. For example imagine a big rock floating in space. Give it a slap with a calibrated hand so you know exactly how much energy you gave it. Now measure how fast the rock is moving. That new speed is proportional to its mass. In space you weigh nothing, but your mass is the same, so a space bully can still shove the 98 pound weakling even though they both weigh 0 pounds.

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