Question

Does the mass of a body equal to the weight shownig weighing scale

Answer 1

Question

Does the mass of a body is equal to the weight showing on a weighing scale?

Answer

No.

Explaination

The mass of a body and the weight of a body both are different. We think that, mass and weight both are same, but they're kinda different.

As we know

Mass is the quantity of the matter in a body. Mass is constant. Its SI unit is kg.

Suppose for an example

We're havin' a stone with mass 2 kg. This means that, not only on Earth its mass is 2 kg, but everywhere around the world, the mass is constant.

But whereas, weight is a force which is actin' on a body to keep bindin' us to the surface. Weight is not constant. Its SI unit is Newton (N), as weight is a force.

For example

A body of weight 36 N is taken on Moon so, its weight will decrease to 6 N. As the weight on Moon is 1/6 of weight on Earth.

But here, the doubt arises

"Why the weight is inconstant?"

=> Weight is inconstant because it depends on the radius of the planet. As we know, Earth is not a perfect sphere, it's flatten towards the equator.

If the radius increases the weight (force) will decrease as the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance.

It means that, when the distance increases the force will decrease and when the force is increased the distance will decrease.

As the distance is more at equatorial region, the force (weight) will decrease and the distance at the polar region is less then the force (weight) will increase.

But this not only happens on Earth, but the weight is changing each on every Planet. As the radius of other planets when compared to Earth is different, the weight will also different.

So, the weight is inconstant.

But here, again a doubt arises,

"Why the mass is constant?"

=> Mass is constant because it's the content present inside a body. As mass can be neither be created nor be destroyed (law of conservation of masss), so the mass is constant.

In simpler words, mass is a quantity, and we know that quantity never changes. Mass is nothing except a quantity.

So, never be consfused that, both the mass and the weight are different.

Mass is constant and weight is inconstant.