Mass

The quantity mass (m) tells how an object resists acceleration by an applied force. The corresponding unit is kilogram (kg). The name is derived from the Greek word maza (μάζα), meaning mass.

History

According to the German physicist Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955), energy (E) and mass (m) are equivalent. This is expressed in his famous formula:

E = m c²

where m is the mass and c is the speed of light.

Related quantities

• area
• density
• energy (mechanical)
• length
• time
• velocity
• volume