Mass vs. Matter

By Jaxson

Main Difference

The main difference between Mass and Matter is that the Mass is a measure of the resistance of a physical body to acceleration; also determines the strength of its gravitational attraction and Matter is a substance that has rest mass and volume, or several other definitions

  • Mass

    Mass is both a property of a physical body and a measure of its resistance to acceleration (a change in its state of motion) when a net force is applied. The object’s mass also determines the strength of its gravitational attraction to other bodies.

    The basic SI unit of mass is the kilogram (kg). In physics, mass is not the same as weight, even though mass is often determined by measuring the object’s weight using a spring scale, rather than balance scale comparing it directly with known masses. An object on the Moon would weigh less than it does on Earth because of the lower gravity, but it would still have the same mass. This is because weight is a force, while mass is the property that (along with gravity) determines the strength of this force.

  • Matter

    In the classical physics observed in everyday life, matter is any substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume. This includes atoms and anything made up of these, but not other energy phenomena or waves such as light or sound. More generally, however, in modern physics, matter is not a fundamental concept because a universal definition of it is elusive; for example, the elementary constituents of atoms may be point particles, each having no volume individually.

    All the everyday objects that we can bump into, touch or squeeze are ultimately composed of atoms. This ordinary atomic matter is in turn made up of interacting subatomic particles—usually a nucleus of protons and neutrons, and a cloud of orbiting electrons. Typically, science considers these composite particles matter because they have both rest mass and volume. By contrast, massless particles, such as photons, are not considered matter, because they have neither rest mass nor volume. However, not all particles with rest mass have a classical volume, since fundamental particles such as quarks and leptons (sometimes equated with matter) are considered “point particles” with no effective size or volume. Nevertheless, quarks and leptons together make up “ordinary matter”, and their interactions contribute to the effective volume of the composite particles that make up ordinary matter.

    Matter exists in states (or phases): the classical solid, liquid, and gas; as well as the more exotic plasma, Bose–Einstein condensates, fermionic condensates, and quark–gluon plasma.

    For much of the history of the natural sciences people have contemplated the exact nature of matter. The idea that matter was built of discrete building blocks, the so-called particulate theory of matter, was first put forward by the Greek philosophers Leucippus (~490 BC) and Democritus (~470–380 BC).

Wikipedia
  • Mass (noun)

    Matter, material.

  • Mass (noun)

    A cohering together so as to make one body, or an aggregation of particles or things which collectively make one body or quantity, usually of considerable size

  • Mass (noun)

    Precious metal, especially gold or silver.

  • Mass (noun)

    The quantity of matter which a body contains, irrespective of its bulk or volume. It is one of four fundamental properties of matter. It is measured in kilograms in the SI system of measurement.

  • Mass (noun)

    A medicinal substance made into a cohesive, homogeneous lump, of consistency suitable for making pills; as, blue mass.

  • Mass (noun)

    A palpable or visible abnormal globular structure; a tumor.

  • Mass (noun)

    Excess body weight, especially in the form of muscle hypertrophy.

  • Mass (noun)

    A large quantity; a sum.

  • Mass (noun)

    Large in number.

  • Mass (noun)

    Bulk; magnitude; body; size.

  • Mass (noun)

    The principal part; the main body.

  • Mass (noun)

    A large body of individuals, especially persons.

    “The mass of spectators didn’t see the infraction on the field.”

    “A mass of ships converged on the beaches of Dunkirk.”

  • Mass (noun)

    The Eucharist, now especially in Roman Catholicism.

  • Mass (noun)

    Celebration of the Eucharist.

  • Mass (noun)

    The Eucharist.

  • Mass (noun)

    A musical setting of parts of the mass.

  • Mass (verb)

    To form or collect into a mass; to form into a collective body; to bring together into masses; to assemble.

  • Mass (verb)

    To have a certain mass.

    “I mass 70 kilograms”

  • Mass (verb)

    To celebrate mass.

  • Mass (adjective)

    Involving a mass of things; concerning a large quantity or number.

    “There is evidence of mass extinctions in the distant past.”

  • Mass (adjective)

    Involving a mass of people; of, for, or by the masses.

    “Mass unemployment resulted from the financial collapse.”

  • Matter (noun)

    Substance, material.

  • Matter (noun)

    The basic structural component of the universe. Matter usually has mass and volume.

  • Matter (noun)

    Matter made up of normal particles, not antiparticles. (Non-antimatter matter).

  • Matter (noun)

    A kind of substance.

    “vegetable matter”

  • Matter (noun)

    Written material (especially in books or magazines).

    “printed matter;”

    “He always took some reading matter with him on the plane.”

  • Matter (noun)

    A condition, subject or affair, especially one of concern.

    “What’s the matter?;”

    “state matters”

  • Matter (noun)

    An approximate amount or extent.

    “I stayed for a matter of months.”

  • Matter (noun)

    The essence; the pith; the embodiment.

  • Matter (noun)

    Inducing cause or reason, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing.

  • Matter (noun)

    Pus.

  • Matter (verb)

    To be important.

    “The only thing that matters to Jim is being rich.”

    “Sorry for pouring ketchup on your clean white shirt! – Oh, don’t worry, it does not matter.”

  • Matter (verb)

    To care about, to mind; to find important.

  • Matter (verb)

    To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.

Wiktionary
  • Mass (noun)

    the celebration of the Christian Eucharist, especially in the Roman Catholic Church

    “we went to Mass”

  • Mass (noun)

    a particular celebration of the Eucharist

    “he pontificated at three Christmas Masses”

  • Mass (noun)

    a musical setting of parts of the liturgy used in the Mass

    “Bach’s B minor Mass”

  • Mass (adjective)

    involving or affecting large numbers of people or things

    “a mass exodus of refugees”

    “the film has mass appeal”

  • Mass (verb)

    assemble or cause to assemble into a single body or mass

    “both countries began massing troops in the region”

    “clouds massed heavily on the horizon”

  • Matter (noun)

    physical substance in general, as distinct from mind and spirit; (in physics) that which occupies space and possesses rest mass, especially as distinct from energy

    “the structure and properties of matter”

  • Matter (noun)

    a particular substance

    “faecal matter”

    “organic matter”

  • Matter (noun)

    written or printed material

    “reading matter”

  • Matter (noun)

    a subject or situation under consideration

    “financial matters”

    “a great deal of work was done on this matter”

  • Matter (noun)

    something which is to be tried or proved in court; a case.

  • Matter (noun)

    the present state of affairs

    “we can do nothing to change matters”

  • Matter (noun)

    the reason for distress or a problem

    “what’s the matter?”

  • Matter (noun)

    the substance or content of a text as distinct from its style or form.

  • Matter (noun)

    the body of a printed work, as distinct from titles, headings, etc.

  • Matter (noun)

    the particular content of a proposition, as distinct from its form.

  • Matter (verb)

    be important or significant

    “it doesn’t matter what the guests wear”

    “what did it matter to them?”

  • Matter (verb)

    (of a person) be important or influential

    “she was trying to get known by the people who matter”

  • Matter (verb)

    (of a wound) secrete or discharge pus.

Oxford Dictionary

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