Astronomy Practice Exam

An object's mass is a fundamental property that does not change regardless of its location in relation to gravitational fields. Whether an object is on the surface of the Earth, floating in space, or on the Moon, its mass remains constant. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object and is independent of the gravitational force acting upon it.

In contrast, weight—the force exerted on an object due to gravity—does vary with changes in gravitational fields. For example, an object will weigh less on the Moon than on Earth due to the Moon's weaker gravitational pull, but its mass remains the same in both locations. This distinction between mass and weight is essential in understanding how objects respond to different gravitational environments.