Practice Mass in Physics

Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.

Quick Recap

The amount of matter in an object and a fundamental measure of how much it resists changes to its state of motion (inertia).

How 'heavy' something feels when you try to push it, regardless of gravity.

Showing a random 20 of 50 problems.

Example 1

easy
A 4 kg4 \text{ kg} object is pushed with a net force of 24 N24 \text{ N}. Find its acceleration.

Example 2

easy
A student says "my mass on Mars would be smaller because Mars has less gravity." Is this correct?

Example 3

medium
On the Moon (g=1.6 m/s2g=1.6\text{ m/s}^2) an object weighs 32 N32\text{ N}. Find its mass and its weight on Earth (g=9.8 m/s2g=9.8\text{ m/s}^2).

Example 4

easy
Which has more inertia: a 2 kg2\text{ kg} ball or a 5 kg5\text{ kg} ball?

Example 5

medium
A scale reads 50 kg50\text{ kg} for a person. What is their weight in newtons (g=9.8 m/s2g=9.8\text{ m/s}^2)?

Example 6

challenge
A rocket of total mass 1000 kg1000 \text{ kg} (including fuel) ejects exhaust at a rate such that the thrust is 15,000 N15{,}000 \text{ N} upward while the rocket lifts off (g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2). Find the upward acceleration just at liftoff.

Example 7

easy
Is mass a vector or a scalar?

Example 8

medium
A spring scale (calibrated for Earth) reads 24 N24 \text{ N} when an object hangs from it on the Moon (gmoon=1.6 m/s2g_{\text{moon}} = 1.6 \text{ m/s}^2). What is the object's mass?

Example 9

hard
Two masses are connected by a string over a frictionless pulley: m1=3 kgm_1 = 3 \text{ kg} on the floor side and m2=5 kgm_2 = 5 \text{ kg} hanging. Find the magnitude of the acceleration (g=10 m/s2g = 10 \text{ m/s}^2).

Example 10

hard
A 5 kg5 \text{ kg} object on a frictionless horizontal surface is pulled by a rope at 3030^\circ above horizontal with 20 N20 \text{ N}. Find the horizontal acceleration.

Example 11

medium
An astronaut has a mass of 75 kg75 \text{ kg}. What would their weight be on the Moon where gmoon=1.6 m/s2g_{\text{moon}} = 1.6 \text{ m/s}^2? Compare this to their weight on Earth (g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2).

Example 12

easy
An object has a weight of 49 N49 \text{ N} on Earth where g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2. What is the mass of the object?

Example 13

easy
A bag of flour weighs 19.6 N19.6 \text{ N} on Earth (g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2). What is its mass?

Example 14

easy
A net force of 12 N12\text{ N} gives an object 3 m/s23\text{ m/s}^2. Find its mass.

Example 15

medium
Two blocks, 3 kg3\text{ kg} and 2 kg2\text{ kg}, are glued together and pushed with 20 N20\text{ N} on a frictionless floor. Find the acceleration.

Example 16

medium
A 2 kg2 \text{ kg} block and a 6 kg6 \text{ kg} block are tied together and pulled on a frictionless surface with a 24 N24 \text{ N} force. Find the acceleration of the system.

Example 17

easy
A toolbox weighs 72 N72 \text{ N} on a planet where g=12 m/s2g = 12 \text{ m/s}^2. What is its mass?

Example 18

challenge
A balance (lever-style, not a spring scale) on Earth reads 4 kg4 \text{ kg} for an object. What would the same balance read on the Moon?

Example 19

easy
True or false: an object's mass changes when it is moved from Earth to the Moon.

Example 20

easy
What is the SI unit of mass?