Which unit is commonly used to measure the mass of an object on Earth?

Which unit is commonly used to measure the mass of an object on Earth?

• A. Gram
• B. Meter
• C. Liter
• D. Second

Answer: (A)

Mass tells us how much matter an object contains. In the metric system, the common unit for mass is the gram (with larger amounts in kilograms, where 1 kilogram equals 1000 grams). The other units measure different quantities: a meter measures length, a liter measures volume, and a second measures time, so they don’t describe how much matter an object has. On Earth, mass stays the same regardless of gravity, while weight can change with gravity; that's why scales measuring mass typically use grams or kilograms. So grams is the appropriate unit for measuring an object's mass.

Mass tells us how much matter an object contains. In the metric system, the common unit for mass is the gram (with larger amounts in kilograms, where 1 kilogram equals 1000 grams). The other units measure different quantities: a meter measures length, a liter measures volume, and a second measures time, so they don’t describe how much matter an object has. On Earth, mass stays the same regardless of gravity, while weight can change with gravity; that's why scales measuring mass typically use grams or kilograms. So grams is the appropriate unit for measuring an object's mass.