You can change your mass by either adding matter to your body or removing matter from it. According to the reference, mass is the amount of matter that makes up an object, and this mass will only change if the amount of matter itself changes.
Understanding Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of an object and is measured in kilograms (kg). It represents the total amount of "stuff" or matter an object is made of, and it is different from weight, which is a force caused by gravity.
How Mass Changes
As stated, your mass can only change by either gaining or losing matter. Here are some practical ways this happens:
-
Gaining Mass:
- Eating: When you consume food, your body processes it and adds its components to your tissues, thus increasing your mass.
- Drinking: Consuming liquids adds to your body's overall mass, although this change may be temporary due to bodily fluid regulation.
- Pregnancy: During pregnancy, the growth of the fetus and related maternal tissue significantly increases a woman's mass.
- Growth: As you grow from childhood to adulthood, your body is adding matter, causing an increase in mass.
-
Losing Mass:
- Exercising: When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories and utilize your body’s stored energy. If the rate of energy use is higher than the rate of energy consumption, it results in a net loss of mass.
- Fasting: Refraining from eating will force the body to utilize the matter it has stored, leading to mass loss.
- Illness: Certain illnesses can result in loss of appetite or the body's inability to absorb nutrients, causing a reduction in overall mass.
- Excretion: Activities like urination and defecation remove matter from the body, leading to a slight reduction in overall mass.
Key Takeaways
| Action | Effect on Mass | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Eating | Increase | Adds matter to the body through digestion and absorption. |
| Exercising | Decrease | Uses stored matter as fuel and reduces overall body mass when calorie deficit occurs. |
| Pregnancy | Increase | The fetus and associated maternal tissues contribute to the overall mass. |
| Fasting | Decrease | Body uses its stores matter for energy, reducing overall mass. |
| Excretion | Decrease | Removes matter from the body. |
It’s important to remember that mass changes only due to the actual addition or subtraction of matter, not due to changes in gravitational force, changes in position, or the shape of an object.
