What Is the Difference Between Mass and Volume?

A scale with yellow balls on one side and blue on the other
The two sets of objects have equal mass, but the yellow balls take up more volume than the blue balls.

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By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on October 07, 2019

Mass and volume are two units used to measure objects. Mass is the amount of matter an object contains, while volume is how much space it takes up.

Example: A bowling ball and a basketball are about the same volume as each other, but the bowling ball has much more mass.

To be precise when using measurement terms, make sure you know the difference between mass and weight.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is the Difference Between Mass and Volume?" ThoughtCo, Aug. 25, 2020, thoughtco.com/difference-between-mass-and-volume-609334. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 25). What Is the Difference Between Mass and Volume? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/difference-between-mass-and-volume-609334 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is the Difference Between Mass and Volume?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/difference-between-mass-and-volume-609334 (accessed April 24, 2024).