# State what is meant by the terms 'mass' and 'weight', and explain why an astronaut's weight changes when travelling from Earth to the Moon, whilst their mass remains the same.

> Cambridge International IGCSE Physics (0625) — 1.3 Mass and weight · State and Explain · 4 marks

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. Mass is a measure of how much matter is in an object
2. Weight is the gravitational force acting on an object (due to a gravitational field acting on the object's mass)
3. The gravitational field strength (g) is different / smaller on the Moon than on Earth
4. Weight depends on gravitational field strength (W = mg), so weight changes; mass does not depend on gravitational field strength so it stays the same

## Key terms

- [mass](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/mass)
- [weight](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/weight)

## Related

- [Revision notes for Cambridge International IGCSE Physics (0625)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "State and Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/state-what-is-meant-by-the-102a1132) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.