Which statement best describes the relationship between mass and volume?

• A. Mass measures space; Volume measures amount of matter.
• B. Mass measures amount of matter; Volume measures space occupied.
• C. Mass measures energy; Volume measures temperature.
• D. Mass and volume are the same.

Answer: (B)

Mass is a measure of how much matter an object contains, while volume is a measure of the space that object occupies. Mass is typically found with a scale and given in grams, and volume is found with a graduated cylinder or by water displacement for irregular shapes, given in liters, milliliters, or cubic centimeters. This distinction matters because it leads to density, which is mass divided by volume.

So the statement that mass measures the amount of matter and volume measures the space occupied is the best description. For example, a brick may have a large mass but not take up a huge volume, while a balloon can have a large volume with relatively little mass. The other ideas mix up what each quantity measures: mass isn’t space, mass isn’t energy, volume isn’t temperature, and they are not the same thing.