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Difference between Mass and Volume includes parameters such as value, measurement methods, and property, among many others. Mass is one of the fundamental quantities in Physics and the most basic property of matter. We can define mass as the measure of the amount of matter in a body. The SI unit of mass is Kilogram (kg). Volume is a three-dimensional quantity used to measure capacity of a solid shape. The amount of three-dimensional space a closed figure can occupy is measured by its volume.
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Key Terms: Mass, Volume, Difference Between Mass and Volume, Kilogram, Centimeter, Cube
What is Mass?
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Mass is the quantitative measure of inertia and a fundamental property of all matter. Mass is resistance that a body of matter offers to a change in its speed or position upon applying force. Greater mass of a body leads to smaller change produced by an applied force.
What is Volume?
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Volume refers to a three-dimensional quantity used to measure the capacity of a solid shape. This states that the amount of three-dimensional space a closed figure can occupy is measured by its volume.
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What is Difference Between Mass and Volume?
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Let us understand difference between mass and volume through the table shown below:
| Mass | Volume |
|---|---|
| Firstly, mass refers to the physical quantity of an object which ultimately signifies the amount of the matter present within the body of an object. | Whereas, on the other hand, volume refers to the evaluation of the quantity on the basis of the space or the area required by the 3 - dimensional (3D) object. |
| Secondly, mass is always considered as the measurement of the weight of an object that is accommodated within an object or a matter. | Comparatively, volume generally refers to the measurement of a finite amount of area or space of any given object. |
| Mass is always considered as a constant or regular property of a body or an object, in a way, a body or mater will always possess some mass. | While in this case, the volume of a substance changes as it is dependent on the state of the substance, whether solid, liquid or gaseous. |
| Another major difference between the two is that, in this case of mass, the weight of the container consisting of liquid tends to provide with the mass of the liquid. | But here, the volume of a liquid in a container tends to measure the depth, length, and width of the container, thus, marking a major difference. |
| Mass is always claimed to be a physical value of an entity. | While the volume is said to be the geometric value of an object. |
From the table shown above, it can be observed that weight is a product of mass of an object. Such as, in case of a pure liquid mixture, the density shall be a concentrated volume which means that its value is the same as the solidity that expresses the pro-rata relationship between the mass and volume of the substance.
Other Differences Between Mass and Volume
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Here are some other significant differences between mass and volume of any object:
- Usually, the mass of an object does not depend on the state of the matter such as, solid, liquid, gas, plasma or a Bose - Einstein Condensate which is the fifth state of matter. However, at the same time, the volume tends to differ on the basis of the state of the matter.
- Mass has an important property which makes it easier to convert the same into energy through mathematical equations and chemical reactions which could be comprehended as law of conservation of mass. While it is not possible to do the same with the volume of an object.
- As per the proving of the theory of relativity that was given by Newton, mass rises with rising velocity while the volume decreases with rising velocity.
Things to Remember
- Mass is the measurement of the amount of matter in an object. The SI unit for mass is kilogram (kg). Smaller masses may be measured in grams (g).
- Volume is the measurement of the amount of space that an object takes up.
- The SI unit for volume is cubic meter (m3), but smaller volumes can be measured in cm3. Also, liquids can be measured in liters (L) or milliliters (mL). (The measurement of volume of matter depends on its state).
- Volume is the amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object. It is measured in cubic units. Examples of cubic units are cm3 or in3. On the contrary, mass is a measure of how much matter an object contains.
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Sample Questions
Ques. What is Mass? (1 Mark)
Ans. Mass is considered as the measurement of inertia which measures the amount of matter within the object. The SI unit of mass is Kilogram. However, mass is also measured in grams, milligrams, etc.
Ques. What is the major difference between mass and volume? (1 Mark)
Ans. The major difference between mass and volume is that mass is something that an object contains within itself while the volume is the measurement of the area or the space required by an object.
Ques. Mention an example of mass and volume. (1 Mark)
Ans. The volume of a pen and pencil might be considered as approximately similar but since both vary in their weight therefore, both shall vary in the mass as well.
Ques. If mass is a physical value, then which value is entitled within the volume? (1 Mark)
Ans. If mass is a physical value, then the volume entitles the geometric value since it measures the length, breadth and height of an object.
Ques. What is the SI unit of mass and volume? (1 Mark)
Ans. The SI unit of mass is Kilogram which is written as kg. While the SI unit of volume is cubic metres which is represented as m3.
Ques. If two equal weights of unequal volumes are balanced in air, what will happen when they are completely dipped in water? Why ? (2 Marks)
Ans. The two equal weights of unequal volumes which are balanced in air, will get imbalanced when they are completely dipped in water because due to their unequal volumes, they will displace unequal volumes of water and hence suffer unequal loss in weight.
Ques. If the distance between two masses is increased by a factor of 5, by what factor would the mass of one of them have to be altered to maintain the same gravitational force ? Would this be an increase or decrease in the mass? (4 Marks)
Ans. Gravitational force is given by:
Distance between two masses is increased s.t. New distance is D = 5d
New Gravitational Force F1 = F
Let on if the mass is changed to m1 so as to maintain the same gravitational force,
F1 = G x \(\frac{m_1 * M}{D^2}\)
D = 5d
F = F1
G x \(\frac{m * m}{d^2}\) = G x \(\frac{m_1 * M}{D^2}\)
G x \(\frac{m * m}{d^2}\) = g x \(\frac{m_1 M}{25d^2}\)
\(\frac{m_1}{m} = 25\)
m1 = 25m
Hence one of the masses should be increased by 25 times in order to have the same gravitational force.
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