Which statement is accurate about $mass$ or $weight$?

• A. $Mass$ changes depending on the location of the object, such as on the Moon or Earth.
• B. $Mass$ is a measure of the amount of matter in an object and is independent of $gravity$.
• C. $Weight$ is measured in $kilograms$ and does not depend on the gravitational field.
• D. $Weight$ is a scalar quantity, while $mass$ is a vector quantity.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the difference between mass and weight: Mass is the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the force exerted on that mass by gravity.
2. Recall that mass is a scalar quantity and remains constant regardless of location, meaning it does not change whether the object is on Earth, the Moon, or in space.
3. Recognize that weight depends on the gravitational field strength and is calculated by the formula \(\\text{Weight} = m \\times g\), where \(m\) is mass and \(g\) is the acceleration due to gravity at the location.
4. Note that weight is a vector quantity because it has both magnitude and direction (towards the center of the gravitational source), whereas mass is scalar and has only magnitude.
5. Conclude that the accurate statement is: Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object and is independent of gravity, while weight depends on gravity and changes with location.