Mass
Engineering Fundamentals · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: The amount of matter in a body, which determines its inertia and its response to applied forces.
Example in context
“The mass of each component must be recorded so the total weight of the assembly can be checked.”
“Montajın toplam ağırlığının kontrol edilebilmesi için her parçanın kütlesi kaydedilmelidir.”
Where engineers use it
Mass is a base quantity in every dynamic and structural calculation; engineers track it in weight budgets, inertia computations, and vibration models, distinguishing it carefully from weight, which depends on gravity.
Practice: can you use “Mass” at work?
A satellite project has a strict launch mass budget. Explain how you would track the mass of each subsystem and why mass differs from weight in orbit.
Show a model answer
“The component's mass is measured in kilograms, not newtons.”
“Mass” in 21 languages
| English | Mass |
|---|---|
| Turkish | kütle |
| French | masse |
| German | Masse |
| Spanish | masa |
| Chinese | 质量 |
| Arabic | كتلة |
| Portuguese | massa |
| Russian | масса |
| Japanese | 質量 |
| Italian | massa |
| Vietnamese | khối lượng |
| Hindi | द्रव्यमान |
| Thai | มวล |
| Indonesian | massa |
| Korean | 질량 |
| Bengali | ভর |
| Dutch | massa |
| Swedish | massa |
| Finnish | massa |
| Ukrainian | маса |
Frequently asked questions
What does Mass mean in engineering?
The amount of matter in a body, which determines its inertia and its response to applied forces. In Engineering Fundamentals, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Mass?
Mass is pronounced /mæs/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Mass used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The mass of each component must be recorded so the total weight of the assembly can be checked.”
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