Undergrad Understanding the Relationship Between Mass and Matter

[alkaspeltzar]

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

 

[PeroK]

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:

 

[Nugatory]

"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.

 

[alkaspeltzar]

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.

 

[anorlunda]

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.

 

[Periwinkle]

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.

 

[gmax137]

It doesn't matter.

Forgive me. I couldn't resist the pun.

The stars are matter, we're matter, but it doesn't matter.

 

[alkaspeltzar]

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.