Many people confuse the magnitudes of mass and weight, in spite of the fact that mass is a scalar magnitude (it is expressed with just a number) and weight is a vectorial magnitude (it has orientation and direction).

   The reason for this confusion is the common use of a unit of force called a kilopond or kilogram weight, which is the force with which the earth attracts a kilogram of mass situated on its surface.

   In the following visual we try to analyze this confusion and explain the different behaviour of a body's mass and its weight.