Mass and Weight

Book Chapter | May 2011

This chapter from, Companion Classroom Activities for Stop Faking It! Force and Motion is about mass and weight. The activity in this chapter is Mass and Weight.

What Will Happen to the Weight?

Book Chapter | May 2010

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students' ideas about weight. The probe is designed to determine whether students recognize that the gravitational force on an object, and thus its weight, is the same…

Does the Weight Change?

Book Chapter | March 2014

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical cells. It is designed to reveal what students think is happening inside a common battery as it gets “used up.” The word weight is used…

How Plants Gain Weight

Journal Article | September 2022

Healthy Diet And Weight (Human Health)

Book Chapter | November 2012

The purpose of this activity is to help students understand the relationship between diet, exercise, weight, and body mass index. This activity also helps students learn how to engage in scientific practices such as…

Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?

Book Chapter | March 2019

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about extensive properties. It is designed to determine whether students recognize that weight (or mass) and volume are extensive properties of the three…

Commentary: Mass and Weight—Explaining the Difference

Journal Article | November 2000

An opinion piece about two of the most commonly confused words in science class—mass and weight.

Scope on the Skies: Watch your weight

Journal Article | February 2002

This column focuses on astronomy throughout the year. This month’s issue focuses on gravity, one of the four forces in the universe that scientists refer to as a fundamental force.

Teaching Through Trade Books: Gravity and Weight

Journal Article | January 2012

This column includes activities inspired by children’s literature. This month’s issue explores the concept of gravity through several activities and readings.

Case Study: The Hunger Pains: Ghrelin, Weight Loss, and Maintenance

Journal Article | September 2013

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. In this month’s issue the case study involves the topic of weight loss…

Hot Under the Collar: Weighing the Dangers of a Weight-Loss Drug

Journal Article | May 2011

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. In this month’s issue the goal of the case study is for students to…

Science Sampler - Project weigh-in: Learning about mass and weight

Journal Article | September 2005

Using the triple beam balance to measure mass in metrics is just one of the many skills we want our students to master. This article highlights a few effective and fun approaches to develop this skill over a couple of…

Science 101: Do balances and scales determine an object’s mass or its weight?

Journal Article | March 2008

The typical elementary school explanation of the difference between mass and weight goes something like the following: Mass is the amount of matter contained in an object. If you travel to the Moon, another planet, or…

The Write Weight

Case Study | June 2016

Wrestling with Weight Loss

Case Study | January 2011