Understanding the Relationship Between Mass and Matter

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In summary, mass is the amount of something, but not the something itself. It can be used to refer to different concepts in physics, but there is no one answer that fits all.
  • #1
alkaspeltzar
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No I'm not dumb, just confused. I keep reading that mass is the amount of matter. So is a 1kg mass matter? Is mass the stuff made of things . So when we say 1kg are we talking about the material? Or is mass the measure of how much? Looking for basic help. I always think about mass as how much stuff but it itself is not the matter, that's the atoms and things. Thanks in advance
 
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  • #2
alkaspeltzar said:
No I'm not dumb, just confused. I keep reading that mass is the amount of matter. So is a 1kg mass matter? Is mass the stuff made of things . So when we say 1kg are we talking about the material? Or is mass the measure of how much? Looking for basic help. I always think about mass as how much stuff but it itself is not the matter, that's the atoms and things. Thanks in advance

You could have 1kg of sugar and 1kg of butter. They are not the same thing. So, yes, mass is the amount of something, but not the something itself.

You could try this:

 
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  • #3
"Mass" has a fairly precise meaning, at least when it's being used in a physics context. The word "matter", however, is used in different ways to refer to slightly different concepts so it's not surprising that you're find yourself confused here. There's no really satisfactory answer; as you come to understand the physics better you'll find that you'll be able to pick out exactly what someone means by "matter" from the context.
 
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So I'm not wrong in thinking mass and matter are not the same things.

When I think of matter, I think of chemistry. When I think of mass, I think physics, motion, largeness/massiveness of objects made of matter. Mass being the abstract quantity that's just understood.

Friend of mine told me to think about pushing a car in space. That's hardness/difficulty to push is kinda like mass and then other definitions like measure of inertia make sense.

Guess what I am saying I need to not think of mass as matter but mass is something matter has.
 
  • #5
alkaspeltzar said:
So I'm not wrong in thinking mass and matter are not the same things.

It doesn't matter.

Forgive me. I couldn't resist the pun. :devil::oldtongue:
 
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What makes the question even more complicated is that there are actually two kinds of mass in physics.
  1. One that causes the inertia of the bodies, so resist the bodies of accelerating force.
  2. The other, which causes the apple to fall off the tree, or the Moon circulate around the Earth.

The two masses are proportional to the measurements, but I think no one knows the reason.
 
  • #7
anorlunda said:
It doesn't matter.

Forgive me. I couldn't resist the pun. :devil::oldtongue:

Don Van Vliet said:
The stars are matter, we're matter, but it doesn't matter.
242321
 
  • #8
Puns don't really answer haha but I think I understand. I just think of mass as the heaviness or what makes matter hard to move.not most scientific but it makes some sense I guess. Trying to understand enough to accept it.
 

1. Is mass and matter the same thing?

No, mass and matter are not the same thing. Mass refers to the amount of matter an object has, while matter refers to anything that has mass and takes up space.

2. How is mass different from matter?

Mass is a quantitative measure of the amount of matter in an object, while matter is a general term for anything that has mass and takes up space.

3. Can an object have mass without matter?

No, an object cannot have mass without matter. Mass is a property of matter and cannot exist without it.

4. Is mass a physical or chemical property of matter?

Mass is a physical property of matter, as it can be measured and observed without changing the chemical composition of the substance.

5. How is mass measured in science?

Mass is typically measured using a balance or scale, which compares the unknown mass to a known mass.

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