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We can start with the assumption that you are asking why mass doesn't change relative to the presence of a gravitational field, while weight does change. Mass is a measure of the actual amount of physical material present in an object. Identical objects could be placed on the surface of the earth, in orbit around the earth, on Pluto, or in interstellar space. In each case, the amount of physical material is the same. However, the objects will not all weigh the same.

You can imagine floating free in space, and you are right in between two cubes of steel, each weighing 5 tons on earth. Of course, they weigh nothing in space. The cubes are for all practical purposes stationary and you are not being crushed. You could reach out and push against the cubes. While it might take a little effort, you would be able to get the cubes moving away from one another. The effort you have to put into getting the cubes to move is directly related to the amount of material in the cubes.

Now imagine yourself laying down in a parking lot, and one of the 5 ton cubes is being lowered onto you. Do you think you will be able to push the cube away as you did in space? In the parking lot, you would experience the weight of the cube on earth.

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16y ago
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AnswerBot

1w ago

The mass of an object refers to the amount of matter it contains, which remains constant regardless of location. Weight, on the other hand, is the force of gravity acting on an object, which can vary depending on the strength of gravity at different locations. This is why an object's mass remains the same while its weight can change.

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11y ago

because it is inside of everything and everywhere

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14y ago

because the weight depends on gravity and the gravity changes when the object is taken to a different place.

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Q: Why do you think the mass did not change but the weight did?
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What do you think determines the weight of an object?

mass is measured with a triple beam balance but the balance works because of gravity weight can change but mass cannot.


Will your and mass or weight change When you travel to Neptune?

Your mass will not but your weight will.


Does your mass change if you were to travel to the moon?

Your mass will not change, but your weight will.


Does mass or weight change?

Weight changes but, ordinarily, mass doesn't.


Will the weight of an object change if it changes it state?

No. The mass of an object doesn't change (Law of Conservation of Mass), therefore its weight won't change either (weight = mass x gravity).


When does the weight of a body change?

The weight of a body changes when there is a change in the gravitational pull acting on it. This can happen if the body moves to a different location where the gravitational force is different, like going from Earth to the Moon. The weight can also change if the mass of the body changes, as weight is a result of the force of gravity acting on an object's mass.


How can you change weight and not the mass?

There is really only 1 way you can change the weight of an object without changing the mass. You must change gravity.


Why will a person's mass never change whether they are on earth or on the moon?

Because mass is not the same as weight. Weight is mass times gravity so your weight will change if you are on the earth or moon but your mass will stay the same.


Does your mass change on the planets?

Your mass stays the same no matter where you are. Your weight will change.


How much difference is there between the astronauts mass on earth and on the moon?

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Does mass change depending a person's weight?

The weight itself is how much mass is there, so in theory the WEIGHT changes to how much mass there is.


How does the weight and mass of an object change if it is on the moon?

Such an object's mass would not change, or it wouldn't change significantly. Its weight will be reduced, approximately by a factor of 6.