Analytical balance

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Mettler digital analytical balance with 0.1 mg readability.
Mechanical analytical balance
Automated analytical balance, 1950s
Mechanical analytical balance (detail)

An analytical balance (often called a "lab balance") is a class of balance designed to measure small
mass in the sub-milligram range. The measuring pan of an analytical balance (0.1 mg or better) is
inside a transparent enclosure with doors so that dust does not collect and so any air currents in the
room do not affect the balance's operation. This enclosure is often called a draft shield. The use of a
mechanically vented balance safety enclosure, which has uniquely designed acrylic airfoils, allows a
smooth turbulence-free airflow that prevents balance fluctuation and the measure of mass down to
1 g without fluctuations or loss of product.[citation needed] Also, the sample must be at room
temperature to prevent natural convection from forming air currents inside the enclosure from
causing an error in reading. Single pan mechanical substitution balance maintains consistent
response throughout the useful capacity is achieved by maintaining a constant load on the balance
beam, thus the fulcrum, by subtracting mass on the same side of the beam to which the sample is
added.[citation needed]

Electronic analytical scales measure the force needed to counter the mass being measured rather
than using actual masses. As such they must have calibration adjustments made to compensate for
gravitational differences.[1] They use an electromagnet to generate a force to counter the sample
being measured and outputs the result by measuring the force needed to achieve balance. Such
measurement device is called electromagnetic force restoration sensor.[2]
Triple beam balance
Main article: Triple beam balance

Triple beam balance is an instrument used to measure mass very precisely. The device has reading
error of +/- 0.05 gram. The name refers to the three beams including the middle beam which is the
largest size, the front beam which is the medium size, and the far beam which is the smallest size .
The difference in size of the beams indicate the difference in weights and reading scale that each
beam carry. The reading scale can be enumerated that the middle beam reads in 100 gram
increments, the front beam can read from 0 to 10 grams, and the far beam can read in 10 gram
increments.[3] The triple beam balance can be used to measure mass directly from the objects, find
mass by difference for liquid, and measure out a substance. The parts of triple beam balance are
identified as the following.[4]

Base is the bottom part of triple beam balance. The use of base is to use both hands for carrying
Pan is where specimen that is measuring is placed.
Scale pointer is the pointer that indicate the equality in mass of the object on the pan and the
mass on the beam.
Zero adjustment knob is used only when the triple beam balance is not zero at the beginning of
the lab to adjust the scale pointer to align with zero.
Beams are three bars which indicate 0 to 10 grams, 10 grams , and 100 gram increments.
Riders are the sliding pointers used to indicate mass in grams of the mass on the pan.

Before using triple beam balance, the scale pointer should be at zero.[5] The zero adjustment knob
can be used to adjust the scale pointer. Place the objects on the pan and adjust the riders. The
hundred rider should be initially adjusted and follow by the tens rider. Adjust the ones rider until the
scale pointer is at zero again.
See also

Triple beam balance

Weiging scale

References

A&D training material

Sensors Mag
"TRIPLE Beam Balance". genchem.rutgers.edu. Retrieved 2016-02-19.
"PARTS OF THE TRIPLE BEAM BALANCE". webcache.googleusercontent.com. Retrieved 2016-02-19.