What is the difference between house of commons and the senate?

Answer 1

The house of commons is a unique body belonging only to the political system of ENGLAND. "The Senate" is too general to refer to any single body as there is a senate in the US federal government, all 50 states and many other nations world wide.

HOWEVER

I suspect the writer meant the House of Representatives and the Senate which combination would only refer to the US Federal government. In that case...

The house is a body apportioned by population with each state having at least one representative, but the number on the whole being divided into the total population of the US and then each state receiving a delegate for each portion of the population they have. (ex. if there where 100 people in the US and 20 members of congress each congressman would represent 5 people and if California had 42 people they would have 8 representatives). The members of this body are elected every two years, making it a volatile group, but they are the only body of the government which can start a spending bill. In other words money does not flow until they vote it. The house is headed by a speaker who is elected by the house itself.

The senate is a body apportioned by state so that there are two and only two members per state. This means that the senator from California represents many more people than the senator from Alaska, but in theory they represent the interests of the state and not the people. Senators are elected every 6 years, but on a rotational schedule so that 1/3 of them are up for election every two years. This means it takes longer for the body of the Senate to change and as 2/3 of its members are not facing an election in the next two years they can theoretically act from best interest for the country rather than self-interest (re-election). Most importantly the Senate is supposed to be wiser and more stable than the house making it the Judiciary for the country. Any member of the federal system can be called before the Senate and jailed or indicted. In the same vein of "wisdom" the Senate is supposed to advise the president as to his appointments and treaties. The head of the Senate is technically the Vice President, although he is generally absent.

Answer 2

The house of commons is lower than the house of lords.

the members of the house of commons are democratically voted in, they usually pass acts and bills, the members were also usually dissolved after 5 years.

the house of lords was a lot more important because they passed laws and checked on the government, becoming a member of the house of lords was usually by birth and you were part of it until death.

(this is a very quick summary)

This is what I know from around the 16th - 19th century England time period.