In physics, weight and mass are two related but distinct concepts. Mass refers to the amount of matter an object contains, while weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity. Essentially, weight is the measure of how heavy an object is.

To understand the difference between weight and mass, consider this example: imagine you have a bag of feathers and a bag of rocks. Both bags have the same mass, as both contain the same amount of matter. However, the bag of rocks will weigh significantly more due to the stronger gravitational pull acting on it.

Weight is typically measured in units of force, such as pounds or newtons, while mass is measured in units such as kilograms or grams.