Do scientists measure the amount of matter in terms of mass?

Answer 1

The short answer:No,

you can imagine a cubic foot of lead and cotton having the same volume but very different mass.

Also 10 pounds of the same material (let's say water) could have different volumes in regards of how compressed it is, and what state it is. (Gas liquid solid) but still have the same mass.

So altough you could often say that increasing the volume of a material (by adding more) often would increase the mass too, it's really still no real connection to measure mass by volume (without adding more variables like pressure and temperature).

To add to that, you may be confused by the difference between Mass and Weight. Mass is the amount of matter in a body - so there just as much matter in a 1 Kg lump of lead 1 Kg at sea level on earth as there is in 1 Kg of feathers even though the volume is different.

Weight is related to gravity while Mass is not, so a Mass of 6Kg would weigh only 1 Kg on the moon, since the moon's gravity is 1/6th of that on earth.

If you have a number of weights of known Mass, you can determine the Mass of another body by balancing that body on twin-pan scales with the known masses until the scales balance each other.

You can measure Weight by using a single pan spring scale - this will alter according to the pull of gravity.

Technically, Mass is measure in Kilos while Weight is measured in Newtons (not Kg or Lb as most believe). The Mass of a body is the same anywhere in the universe, while its Weight depends on the pull of gravity where that body is situated. Volume, as correctly stated above, is the amount of space taken up by that body, irrespective of its Mass or Weight!

I am using capitals for Mass and Weight only to highlight the terms.

Read more @ HitXP » What is the Difference between Mass and Weight - by Gurudev

Answer 2

Provided those particles are Protons and Neutrons, that is correct because an Electron has less than 1/1800th the mass of a Proton (or Neutron). The Atomic Mass of an element is a measure of the mass of the atomic nucleus and that is made up of Protons and Neutrons. It is also worth remembering that Mass and Energy are interchangeable as described by Einstein (E=MC2).

Answer 3

Yes, scientists measure the amount of matter in terms of mass. Mass is a fundamental property of matter that represents the amount of substance present in an object. It is commonly measured in units such as grams or kilograms.

Answer 4

false!