Conceptually I understand that mass is a measure of the amount of stuff present in an object, while weight is a measure of the force of gravity applied to that object. An object of a given mass will have a bigger weight on Earth than on the moon because Earth’s gravity is stronger. But… mass is determined by weighing an object on a scale. And there is a simple mathematical conversion between grams (mass) and pounds (weight), implying that they’re just different units for the same concept. So what gives? (Also this is a question that applies to so many fields, I had no idea which flair to apply.)
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Since weight is a measure of the gravitational attraction between two masses and because Earth’s mass is relatively constant (and inescapable in our localized setting), it is the varied masses of the objects attracted to Earth that determine their weight.
So, while you only have to be able to lift (and balance) your own weight to lift the entire earth over your head (AKA, do a handstand), you would have to be able to lift about 2 tons to get between a car and the earth to separate them.
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