Weight Changes, Mass Does Not

Lab Brief #6

🎯 Your mission

Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.

⚡ The twist

Speed isn't the same as force. Don't mix them up.

What you'll learn

Mass is how much stuff there is and never changes. Weight is the pull of gravity on that mass, so the same lunchbox weighs less on the Moon and would weigh more on Jupiter, while its mass stays exactly the same.

Key words

mass
How much matter an object contains, measured in grams or kilograms.
weight
The pull of gravity on an object, measured in newtons.

Make a hypothesis first

Guess: where does the energy go?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

balance
newton meter
assorted objects

⚠️ Safety first

Support hanging masses so they cannot drop onto feet.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Think about what you just learned: say what "mass" and "weight" mean in your own words before you start.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Weigh five objects on a balance in grams and on a newton meter in newtons. Tabulate both, then calculate what each would weigh on the Moon at one sixth of Earth's gravity.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Question 1 of 2

On the Moon, an object's mass is:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 2

Weight is measured in:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🔥 A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 2 right.

All lessons

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”

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Weight Changes, Mass Does Not

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