Physical Science: Matter, Volume, Mass, and Weight

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts from Physical Science Chapter 2 Section 1, including definitions and key units for matter, volume, mass, weight, and inertia.

Matter

Anything that takes up space, such as humans, a toaster, glass tubing, steam, and hot soup.

Volume

The amount of space taken up by an object.

Meniscus

The curve at a liquid's surface by which one measures the volume of the liquid.

Volume of a regularly shaped solid object

The amount of space occupied by a regular object (e.g., a cube), calculated using the formula $\text{Volume} = \text{length} \times \text{width} \times \text{height}$.

Volume of an irregularly shaped solid

The volume found by measuring the water displaced when the object is added to water in a graduated cylinder, where $1\text{ mL} = 1\text{ cm}^3$.

Mass

The amount of matter of an object, measured in SI units such as kilograms ($\text{kg}$), grams ($\text{g}$), and milligrams ($\text{mg}$).

Weight

The measure of the gravitational force exerted on an object, which can change depending on location in the universe.

Newton (N)

The SI unit of weight, where $1\text{ newton}$ equals the weight of an object that has a mass of $100\text{ g}$ on Earth.

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist change in motion, measured by the mass of the object.