What is the dough?

We explain what mass is and how this magnitude can be measured. In addition, some examples and their relationship with the volume.

1. What is the dough?

When talking about mass we mean a magnitude of scalar type and commonly used in physics and chemistry , which expresses the amount of matter in an object or a body.

It should not be confused with the weight , which represents the intensity with which a body is attracted by a gravitational field , or with the amount of substance, which in chemistry designates the proportion of the substances that make up a compound .

Mass is an important variable in the calculation of numerous real-world relationships and interactions , so it is part of most formulas.

All objects have a mass, whether they are in a solid, liquid or gaseous state. The more atoms in a body, the greater its mass.

For a long time it was argued that the amount of mass in the universe was uniform and invariable, since mass, as well as energy, cannot be destroyed or constructed , but reduced to its most elementary components, atoms.

All matter is made of various atoms of a finite set, but organized in different ways. However, thanks to Einstein’s studies and the development of quantum physics in the twentieth century, today we know that atoms can “break” and that part of their masses are transformed into energy , as described by the famous formula of Relativity: E = m.c2, where  E  is energy,  m  is mass and  c  the speed of light .

2. How is mass measured?

The International System of Weights and Measures (abbreviated SI) maintains that the unit for measuring mass is the kilogram (kg) , together with its derived units such as gram, milligram, etc. To measure the mass of a body scales are used, either the traditional saucer or the modern electronic.

3. Examples of dough

The mass of most objects can be calculated through various ways, either by deducting it from its movement and acceleration , or from its gravitational attraction, but not through instruments. Thus, we have calculated the masses of:

• The Sun : 1,9891 x 1030 Kg.
• Saturn : 5.6846 x 1026 Kg.
• The Earth : 5.9736 x 1024 Kg.
• The Moon : 7,349 x 1022 Kg.
• An unmanned  commercial aircraft : about 178,000 kg.
• A  sports car : about 1000 Kg.
• An astronaut suit : 130 Kg.
• An average man of 30 years of age : 73 Kg.
• An old television : about 30 Kg.
• A poodle dog : 15 Kg.
• A bicycle : about 6 Kg.
• A hammer : about 1 kg.

4. Mass and volume

Both mass and volume are general properties of matter , but the latter refers, instead of the amount of matter in a body, to the amount of physical space it occupies.

The volume is usually calculated by submerging a body (solid or gaseous) and measuring the increase in the water level , so its standard unit of measurement is the cubic meter (m3) although it is also usual to use liters (l) or milliliters (ml).
In the case of liquids, simply pour them into a graduated container.

The volume however is closely related to the mass, since it is not due to the shape of the body, or the state of subdivision thereof , but to the amount of matter it contains (and the pressure and temperature at which it is).