What is mass?

From	gilber34 <fafa@invalid.com>
Newsgroups	sci.physics
Subject	What is mass?
Date	2015-09-23 11:02 -0500
Organization	Aioe.org NNTP Server
Message-ID	<mtuifv$ajn$1@speranza.aioe.org> (permalink)

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I now understand that mass is only defined by its effects, so I realize 
that my biggest problem is related to quantification. I don't understand 
how people came up with a system to quantify mass.

I tried to figure it out using the formula for mass, which is F= m . a 
and my issue was the following: a: Acceleration as a concept is very 
straightforward.

It's a measure of the distance in relation to the time in which it is 
traveled. In order to measure distance, we've taken an arbitrary amount 
of space and called it a meter and an arbitrary amount of time and 
called it seconds.

Nothing to look for there, it's all arbitrary. F: Same with force. In 
order to quantify it, we arbitrarily decided to equal 1 unit of force 
(newton) with what is needed to make an object of 1 kilogram have an 
acceleration of 1 meter per second. m:

But when it comes to mass, I don't see what they used to quantify it 
(given that it's definitely not the amount of atoms contained in an 
object). You could say that it's that which causes the needed force to 
accelerate the object to be greater the bigger it is, but then there's a 
loophole in the definition (force is defined in terms of mass and mass 
is defined in terms of force).

So what basis was used to standardize the measurement of the concept of 
mass?

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What is mass? gilber34 <fafa@invalid.com> - 2015-09-23 11:02 -0500
  Re: What is mass? Poutnik <Poutnik4NNTP@gmail.com> - 2015-09-23 18:55 +0200
  Re: What is mass? Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-09-23 16:59 +0000
    Re: What is mass? Poutnik <Poutnik4NNTP@gmail.com> - 2015-09-23 19:12 +0200
      Re: What is mass? Poutnik <Poutnik4NNTP@gmail.com> - 2015-09-23 19:17 +0200
      Re: What is mass? Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-09-23 17:34 +0000
        Re: What is mass? Poutnik <poutnik4nntp@gmail.com> - 2015-09-23 20:35 +0200
          Re: What is mass? omnilobe@gmail.com - 2015-09-23 12:40 -0700
          Re: What is mass? Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-09-23 21:44 +0000
            Re: What is mass? Poutnik <poutnik4nntp@gmail.com> - 2015-09-24 08:50 +0200
              Re: What is mass? "Y.Porat" <y.y.porat@gmail.com> - 2015-09-26 22:34 -0700
        Re: What is mass? Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-26 08:35 +0200
          Re: What is mass? Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-09-26 12:35 +0000
            Re: What is mass? Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-26 15:37 +0200
              Re: What is mass? john <johnsefton288@gmail.com> - 2015-09-26 07:14 -0700
                Re: What is mass? Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-26 16:17 +0200
          a-hem; m = F/a is also gOOd noTthaTguY <abu.kuanysh05@gmail.com> - 2015-09-26 17:16 -0700
            Re: a-hem; m = F/a is also gOOd Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-27 03:26 +0200
              top-posting is frpowned upon by certain advertizers ... just don't ask them, why not noTthaTguY <abu.kuanysh05@gmail.com> - 2015-09-27 15:53 -0700
                What is mass (was: top-posting is frpowned upon by certain advertizers ... just don't ask them, why not) Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-28 17:05 +0200
                a.k.a photonics -- thanks for the tip (pi dollars is gOOd noTthaTguY <abu.kuanysh05@gmail.com> - 2015-09-29 11:28 -0700
                Re: a.k.a photonics -- thanks for the tip (pi dollars is gOOd Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-29 21:01 +0200
                no skwares in the medium of space noTthaTguY <abu.kuanysh05@gmail.com> - 2015-09-29 19:29 -0700
    Re: What is mass? "Y.Porat" <y.y.porat@gmail.com> - 2015-09-23 23:07 -0700
  Re: What is mass? "nuny@bid.nes" <Alien8752@gmail.com> - 2015-09-23 14:01 -0700
    Re: What is mass? "Y.Porat" <y.y.porat@gmail.com> - 2015-09-27 23:40 -0700
  Re: What is mass? "reber g=emc^2" <herbertglazier0@gmail.com> - 2015-09-24 13:36 -0700
  Re: What is mass? Yousuf Khan <bbbl67@spammenot.yahoo.com> - 2015-09-28 02:13 -0400
    Re: What is mass? Mahipal <mahipal7638@gmail.com> - 2015-09-28 09:27 -0700
      Re: What is mass? Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-29 04:31 +0200
        Re: What is mass? "Y.Porat" <y.y.porat@gmail.com> - 2015-09-29 00:29 -0700
          Re: What is mass? Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-29 13:21 +0200
            Re: What is mass? Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-29 13:34 +0200
            Re: What is mass? "Y.Porat" <y.y.porat@gmail.com> - 2015-09-29 05:19 -0700
        Re: What is mass? Mahipal <mahipal7638@gmail.com> - 2015-09-29 05:40 -0700
          Re: What is mass? Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-29 15:11 +0200
            Re: What is mass? Mahipal <mahipal7638@gmail.com> - 2015-09-29 06:37 -0700
              Re: What is mass? Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-29 16:22 +0200
                Re: What is mass? Mahipal <mahipal7638@gmail.com> - 2015-09-29 07:51 -0700
                Re: What is mass? Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-29 18:45 +0200
                Re: What is mass? Mahipal <mahipal7638@gmail.com> - 2015-09-29 11:06 -0700
                Re: What is mass? Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2015-09-29 21:00 +0200
                Re: What is mass? Mahipal <mahipal7638@gmail.com> - 2015-09-29 13:47 -0700
                Re: What is mass? "Ma Hipple" <invalid@example.com> - 2015-09-30 07:20 -0700
              Re: What is mass? "Alan Smith" <invalid@example.com> - 2015-09-29 07:33 -0700
          Re: What is mass? "Y.Porat" <y.y.porat@gmail.com> - 2015-09-30 02:21 -0700
            Re: What is mass? Mahipal <mahipal7638@gmail.com> - 2015-10-04 19:11 -0700
              Re: What is mass? "Y.Porat" <y.y.porat@gmail.com> - 2015-10-05 00:39 -0700
                Re: What is mass? noTthaTguY <abu.kuanysh05@gmail.com> - 2015-10-05 18:38 -0700
                Re: What is mass? Mahipal <mahipal7638@gmail.com> - 2015-10-05 18:50 -0700
                Re: What is mass? "Eric Smith" <invalid@example.com> - 2015-10-05 20:01 -0700
                Re: What is mass? Mahipal <mahipal7638@gmail.com> - 2015-10-05 20:49 -0700
                Re: What is mass? "Y.Porat" <y.y.porat@gmail.com> - 2015-10-06 03:18 -0700
              Re: What is mass? "Fred Smith" <invalid@example.com> - 2015-10-06 17:41 -0700
                Re: What is mass? Mahipal <mahipal7638@gmail.com> - 2015-10-06 19:38 -0700
                Re: What is mass? "Greg Smith" <invalid@example.com> - 2015-10-07 06:59 -0700
                Re: What is mass? gilber34 <fafa@invalid.com> - 2015-10-07 09:03 -0500
                Re: What is mass? "Hank Smith" <invalid@example.com> - 2015-10-07 07:20 -0700
                Re: What is mass? Mahipal <mahipal7638@gmail.com> - 2015-10-07 08:11 -0700
                Re: What is mass? noTthaTguY <abu.kuanysh05@gmail.com> - 2015-10-07 16:07 -0700
                Re: What is mass? "Y.Porat" <y.y.porat@gmail.com> - 2015-10-08 00:18 -0700
                Re: What is mass? john <johnsefton288@gmail.com> - 2015-10-08 06:15 -0700
                Re: What is mass? "Y.Porat" <y.y.porat@gmail.com> - 2015-10-10 01:11 -0700
                Re: What is mass? noTthaTguY <abu.kuanysh05@gmail.com> - 2015-10-10 16:43 -0700
                Re: What is mass? noTthaTguY <abu.kuanysh05@gmail.com> - 2015-10-08 12:34 -0700

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