
What is more fundamental mass or weight?
Answer
433.5k+ views
Hint: Mass is the most basic property of matter. It is a measure of matter in a substance. Weight on the other hand is force acting on an object. In physics fundamental means anything that is basic , primary or source .
Complete answer:
When it comes to physics, mass is the fundamental quantity.
Definition of mass: it is defined as the amount of matter in a body. Its SI unit is kilogram (kg).
Definition of weight: it is defined as the measure of effect of force of gravity on a body. Its SI unit is Newton(N).
Let us note down few differences between mass and weight to know which is more fundamental:
The main thing to note is that mass doesn’t vary from place to place. Hence it can be taken as a basic characteristic or fundamental unit .
Additional Information:
The weight can be written as: W=mg where;
W=weight, m=mass and g= gravitational force.
The relationship between mass and weight is that an object which has mass 1kg will have a weight =9.8N.
Note: It should be noted that mass cannot vary from place to place as it is the amount of matter in a body. And that amount can never vary with location; on the other hand weight is product of mass and acceleration, hence it will vary from place to place as g varies from place to place.
Complete answer:
When it comes to physics, mass is the fundamental quantity.
Definition of mass: it is defined as the amount of matter in a body. Its SI unit is kilogram (kg).
Definition of weight: it is defined as the measure of effect of force of gravity on a body. Its SI unit is Newton(N).
Let us note down few differences between mass and weight to know which is more fundamental:
MASS | WEIGHT |
It is a scalar quantity | It is a vector quantity. |
It remains the same no matter what location. | It varies from place to place. |
It can never be zero. | It can be zero also, for example: In a place where there is no force of gravity. |
The main thing to note is that mass doesn’t vary from place to place. Hence it can be taken as a basic characteristic or fundamental unit .
Additional Information:
The weight can be written as: W=mg where;
W=weight, m=mass and g= gravitational force.
The relationship between mass and weight is that an object which has mass 1kg will have a weight =9.8N.
Note: It should be noted that mass cannot vary from place to place as it is the amount of matter in a body. And that amount can never vary with location; on the other hand weight is product of mass and acceleration, hence it will vary from place to place as g varies from place to place.
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