In our textbook mass and weight look almost the same and I keep mixing them up in numericals. How do I tell them apart?
Mass is the amount of matter in an object and it never changes no matter where you go. It is measured in kilograms and stays the same on Earth, on the Moon, or in space. Weight is the force with which gravity pulls on that mass, and it equals mass times g (W = mg). Weight is a force, so it is measured in newtons, and it changes with location because g changes. For example, a 6 kg bag has a mass of 6 kg everywhere, but its weight is about 58.8 N on Earth and only about one-sixth of that on the Moon. So remember: mass is 'how much stuff', weight is 'how hard gravity pulls'.
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