What Does Matter Mean in Relation to Mass?

[Alan Tam]

Many Physics books state that mass is the quantity of matter. What does the "matter" refer to? Objects contain the same number of particles could still have different masses. Could anyone help me? Thanks.

 

[pmb_phy]

Many Physics books state that mass is the quantity of matter. What does the "matter" refer to? Objects contain the same number of particles could still have different masses. Could anyone help me? Thanks.

Its a poor physics textbook which defines mass in that way.

Inertia is that property of a body which resists a change in momentum. Momentum is defined as the quantity mv where m is defined such that mv is a conserved quantity. m is called the "mass" of the body.

Pete

 

[russ_watters]

Objects contain the same number of particles could still have different masses.

Same number of atoms, maybe, but atoms are made of smaller particles.