Matter has a mass. Mass is a property which is characteristic of matter. The mass of a body can be determined in two different ways:

  • by using a balance (gravitational mass)
  • by using a ruler, a chronometer and a dynamometer to determine how the velocity of a body is modified when it is affected by a force (intertial mass).

    If you want to see how to determine inertial mass, click here.

The following visual will show you how to measure gravitational mass by using a balance to compare the unknown mass of an object with a known mass. You will also learn the difference between mass and weight (mass is measured with a balance and weight is measured with a dynamometer).

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