Difference Between Mass and Matter

Introduction

Usually, we are confused in differentiating between mass and matter. We consider mass and matter as the same unit. In this tutorial, we will learn about the difference between mass and matter. The mass is something that has a weight, and that can be measured. The matter is everything that surrounds us in the form of solid, liquid, and gas. It can be seen, touched or felt but mass can not be seen. Let’s understand it more deeply.

What is Mass?

Mass is a measurable quantity. It is considered a fundamental property of all matters. the mass of a body does not change until any extreme condition is applied. It is measured in kilograms (Kg). The mass of a body can never be zero. The mass is a scalar quantity and it has magnitude as well. The Mass of a body does not change with the change in location of a body. The formula for measuring the mass of a body is

$$\mathrm{Mass (M) = Volume(V)* Density(d)}$$

Law of Conservation of Mass

The law of conservation of mass is given by scientist Antonie Lavoisier in 1789. He states that the mass can neither be created nor destroyed in any chemical reaction. It means that if the mass of an element before the start of the reaction is two it will remain the same at the end of the reaction it doesn’t matter what the new product is. The mass of every element remains the same throughout the reaction.

Example

In the combustion of methane, one molecule of methane reacts with a molecule of oxygen, and the product formed is one molecule of carbon dioxide and two molecules of water. In the overall reaction, there were one atom of carbon, four atoms of oxygen, and four atoms of hydrogen at the start of the reaction and they remain the same at the end of the reaction. Let’s understand through reaction −

$$\mathrm{CH_4+ 2O_2\rightarrow CO_2+2H_2 O }$$

In this reaction, the overall mass of each atom remains the same throughout the reaction.

What is Matter?

Everything that surrounds us is matter. The matter is something that has mass, and volume. There are three states of matter i.e. Liquid, solid, and Gas but now Scientists have found the two states of matter namely plasma and Bose-Einstein condensate. The states of matter are inter-changeable means they can be changed from one form to other by changing the temperature or pressure.

• Solid − The solids have a definite shape, boundaries, and volume. They can’t be compressed by pressure.

• Liquid − The Liquid can move freely, they don’t have a definite volume and have high diffusion properties.

• Gas − Gases are highly compressible, and have no definite shape and volume.

• Plasma − these are super energetic and super excited particles, they exist in the form of ionized gases. Ex. Neon Gas inside the fluorescent bulb.

• Bose-Einstein Condensate − it is created by cooling gas to extremely low density i.e. at one-hundred-thousandth the normal air density.

Law of Conservation of Matter

The law of conservation of matter applied to any enclosed system means that in any physical or chemical change the overall input and out of mass in the system will remain the same.

In a chemical reaction, the mass of the reactant is equal to the mass of the product formed and in a physical change, the flow of input in the system is equal to the outflow in the system.

Example: In the reaction when solid Potassium iodide reacts with solid mercury nitrate, it produces solid Potassium nitrate and mercury iodide. The mercury iodide is precipitated out in the reaction and potassium nitrate evaporated. At the start of the reaction and the end of the reaction, the overall mass of the product remains the same.

$$\mathrm{KI (s)+Hg(NO_3 )_2 (s)→ KNO_3 (g) +HgI_2 (s)}$$

Are Mass and Matter the Same Thing?

Mass and Matter both seem the same but there is a difference between mass and matter. Everything around us is a matter but everything around us does have mass it’s not necessary. Mass is a quantitative unit, and it can be measured. Matter has mass and volume. Matter can be in any physical quantity.

Difference Between Mass and Matter

There are a few differences between mass and matter.

Mass	Matter
Mass is a quantitative measure.	Matter is everything that surrounds us.
It has mass and	It has mass and volume.
Its SI unit is the kilogram (Kg)	Its SI unit is the unit of mass and Volume i.e. Kilogram (Kg) and cubic meter (m3)
Mass can be differentiated into mass of inertia, active and passive mass, and gravitational mass.	Matter can be defined into five states: liquid, solid, gas, plasma, and Bose-Einstein condensate.
Mass remains constant throughout a chemical reaction.	In Chemical reactions, the form of matter changes with the reaction or remains the same.
Mass can not be seen.	Matter can be seen, touched, or felt.

Conclusion

We usually get confused that mass and matter are the same quantities but hope the above explanation helped you find the difference between mass and matter. As is clear that mass is a measurable quantity and remains the same throughout a chemical reaction. Matter is present in three basic states i.e. liquid, solid, and gas. It has mass and volume. it remains the same or changes its state in a chemical reaction.

FAQs

1. What is inertial mass?

Inertial Mass is defined by the second law of newton. It states when force is applied to an object it resits the acceleration. Interior mass is a measure of an object’s inertia. it is represented in the form of

$$\mathrm{F= ma}$$

In which the F= force applied to an object,

m=mass of the object, and

a =acceleration.

2. What is Gravitational Mass?

Gravitational mass is the strength of the gravitational force that is felt by an object. with another object. It is defined by the formula −

$$\mathrm{F=\frac{Gm_1 m_2}{r}}$$

In this equation, the F = gravitational force,

G =gravitational constant,

m₁ = mass of object one, and

m₂ = mass of the second object,

r = distance between the two objects.

3. Can we destroy matter?

Matter can be destroyed or created. It can be changed in different forms in a system or chemical reaction. This phenomenon is known as the law of conservation of mass.

4. Who defined the Bose-Einstein Condensate?

The fifth state of matter is defined by the Indian Scientist Satyendra Nath Bose and Einstein. Bose had done some calculations and Einstein predicted it. The Bose-Einstein condensate is formed by cooling the gas to its one-hundred-thousands density.

5. What happens when a neon-filled fluorescent bulb gets an electrical charge?

When a bulb filled with neon gas gets an electrical charge, its particles get ionized and an electrical charge flows through the bulb. The charged gas ion creates plasma inside the bulb and the plasma inside the bulb starts glowing after getting energy.