Working instruction for Weighing Scale 1.

Before placing the neonate on the weighing scale it should be cleanse by a mild and non corrosive solution. Checked if the baby is thermoregulated before removing all of his clothes and placing him on the scale. 2. Make sure that you are weighing accurately by not placing additional weight on the scale accidentally. Place the item/baby to be weighed entirely on the scale and remove your hand so that you aren't supporting some of the weight.

3. Contraptions like intravenous lines, orogastric tubes, and the like should be deducted from the eeight obtained. Each item should be weighed accurately to gain an exact babys weight. Other alterations should be checked to ensure the accuracy and efficacy of the weighing scale. 4. If you are using a scale that has a rotating needle, simply place the item on the scale and see where the needle lands. Most scales with rotating needles have numbers with 15 lines in between, because each pound has 16 oz. in it and the sixteenth line is where the next pound starts. If the needle lands on the fourth line past the number 3, this indicates that your item weighs 3 lbs., 4 oz.

5. To operate it, place the item on the scale and move the top weight until the balance beam is almost level. You will find that the scale most likely won't be balanced completely at any of the numbers on this top weight. Leave the top weight at the lowest number notch where it is almost balanced. Move the bottom weight until the balance beam is completely balanced. Add the numbers on each slide together, and that is the total weight (in pounds) of the baby. 6. The weight obtained should be checked and repeatedly done to ensure the accuracy. Some of the scales show an error thats why calibrating it is very beneficial. The following should be considered:

Sources of error Some of the sources of error in weighing are:

Buoyancy, Objects in air develops buoyancy force that is directly proportional to the volume of air displaced. The difference in density of air due to barometric pressure and temperature creates errors.

Error in mass of reference weight Air gusts, even small ones, which push the scale up or down Friction in the moving components that cause the scale to reach equilibrium at a different configuration than a frictionless equilibrium should occur. Settling airborne dust contributing to the weight Mis-calibration over time, due to drift in the circuit's accuracy, or temperature change Mis-aligned mechanical components due to thermal expansion/contraction of components Magnetic fields acting on ferrous components Forces from electrostatic fields, for example, from feet shuffled on carpets on a dry day Chemical reactivity between air and the substance being weighed (or the balance itself, in the form of corrosion) Condensation of atmospheric water on cold items Evaporation of water from wet items Convection of air from hot or cold items Gravitational differences for a scale which measures force, but not for a balance. Vibration and seismic disturbances

Reference: http://www.ehow.com/how_4868647_read-weighing-scale.html#ixzz2qtNp8GRd