Beam balance facts for kids

Beam balance

A beam balance is a device used to measure mass. An object is put into a disk on one side that hangs from one end of a bar. It is balanced with weights at the other end. It has a lever with two equal arms and a pan suspended from each arm.

Images for kids

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  Set of balance scales, with weights

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  Digital kitchen scale, a strain gauge scale

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  Finely crafted pan balance or scales, with boxed set of standardized gram masses

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  Two 10-decagram masses

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  Masses of 50, 20, 1, 2, 5 and 10 grams

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  Aluminum, mass-produced balance scale (steelyard balance) sold and used throughout China: the scale can be inverted and held by the larger ring beneath the user's right hand to produce greater leverage for heavier loads (Hainan, China, 2011)

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  A Roberval balance. The pivots of the parallelogram understructure makes it insensitive to load positioning away from center, so improves its accuracy, and ease of use.

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  Torsion balance scale made by Torbal

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  Weighing balance, with precision of 0.1 mg

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  A simple balance from the 19th century

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  A mechanical bathroom scale. Pressure on the internal springs rotates a disc displaying the user's weight in pounds.

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  Scales used for trade purposes in the United States, as this scale at the checkout in a cafeteria, are inspected for accuracy by the FDACS's Bureau of Weights and Measures.

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  The prototype of an elastic arm scale measuring a mass.

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  Weighing dishes from the island of Thera, Minoan civilization, 2000–1500 BC

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  Assyrian lion weights (8th century BC) in the British Museum

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  Roman balance with two bronze weights, 50-200 A.D., Gallo-roman museum, Tongres Belgium

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  Emperor Jahangir (reigned 1605–1627) weighing his son Shah Jahan on a weighing scale by artist Manohar (AD 1615, Mughal dynasty, India).