[Sca-cooks] Measurement query for European members

[Decker, Terry D.]

A newton is a measure of force.  1 newton accelerates 1 kg of mass at 1
meter/sec/sec.

Weight is the measure of the force of gravity on a object and is usually
expressed in pounds or grams.  This is the gravitational mass of the object.
Actual mass is determined by comparing the object being measured to standard
masses on a balance beam in the same gravitational field thus eliminating
the gravitational component of the measurement.  Mass is also measured in
pounds and grams.

The inertial mass of an object is measured by the resistance of the object
to acceleration by an external force, so that m = F/a, where m is measured
in kg, F is measured in newtons, and a is measured in m/sec/sec.

In the case of recipes, when you weigh ingredients, while you may be
measuring the actual mass if you use a balance beam, your real goal is to
provide accurate proportions of ingredients as set forth in the recipe by
weight (gravitational mass).

Cooking could be real fun in zero gee, couldn't it.

Bear

> Premise is off, but conclusion is right on.  Grams are measre
> of MASS, and not weight.  Mass is the amount of
> material/matter, while weight is a force measurement that is
> a function of that mass accelerated by the force of gravity
> (hence, you weigh more on Earth than on the Moon, but same
> mass in kg).  Metric measure of 'weight' is, I believe, the
> Newton.  The Standard American measure for mass is the slug.
> I had a goofy Physics treacher in high school who taught us .
> . . and I hope I remembered correctly <g>.  (is the SAE
> system really that much easier now?)
>
> niccolo difrancesco