Science Scope, December 1st, 2007
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mass and weight represent different fundamental properties of matter, one a scalar (a real number) and one a vector, yet the terms are frequently confused. A casual inspection of canned food in a grocery aisle confirms this: A one-pound (weight) can of peaches is also listed as having a net "weight" of 454 grams. Even in the science classroom, simple tools compound the difficulty in developing appropriate conceptual understanding. Spring scales, to cite the most troublesome example, are calibrated to simultaneously "read" ounces, pounds, grams, and newtons. This implied...
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