Mass
Mass is the quantity of matter in a physical body. It is also a measure of the body's inertia, the resistance to acceleration (change of velocity) when a net force is applied.[1] An object's mass also determines the strength of its gravitational attraction to other bodies.
Mass | |
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Common symbols | m |
SI unit | kg |
Extensive? | yes |
Conserved? | yes |
Part of a series on |
Classical mechanics |
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The SI base unit of mass is the kilogram (kg). In physics, mass is not the same as weight, even though mass is often determined by measuring the object's weight using a spring scale, rather than balance scale comparing it directly with known masses. An object on the Moon would weigh less than it does on Earth because of the lower gravity, but it would still have the same mass. This is because weight is a force, while mass is the property that (along with gravity) determines the strength of this force.