What is matter? It is the stuff all around you! Matter is anything with mass that takes up space. For example, when you pick up a pencil, you can feel that it is made up of matter. This matter takes up space. You are matter, your desk is matter, your dog is matter, even the air around you is matter. All of this matter has mass, and the mass is what we measure.
So what is mass? Some people think that mass and weight are the same, but they are different. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object; whereas, weight is a measure of the gravitational force exerted on an object. An object's weight depends on the gravitational force that is applied to the object, while mass is independent of gravity. You have the same amount of mass whether you are on Earth, in outer space, or on the moon. But your weight in each of those places is quite different, because the gravitational forces in each of these places is different.
Mass and Weight
How do mass and weight differ?
Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object and weight is a measure of the gravitational force exerted on an object.
