Most commercial and industrial operations have the need to weigh things, and a variety of scales are available. In fact, some are more sensitive than others, and analytical balances (sometimes called lab balances) are some of the most sensitive you can find. Let’s take a closer look at this equipment and discover the important benefits it provides business today.
History of Balance Scales
The balance scale is one of the oldest weight measuring devices known to man. The concept is simple and effective, and you can make your own balance with a few simple parts. Take a long piece of wood or metal and attach a pivot point in the middle. Suspend a holder on each end of the beam, and you have a simple set of scales.
You’ve probably seen balance scales before. For example, “Lady Justice” holds out a balance beam with two hanging baskets. She wears a blindfold and represents the blind justice of law enforcement, balancing out the good with the bad.
Anubis, the Greek God of embalming and cemeteries, allowed newly dead souls into the afterlife. First, he placed the heart and a feather on opposite sides of a balancing scale, and if the heart was lighter than the feather, the dead person could enter and live forever.
What are Analytical Balances?
Lab scales are highly sensitive equipment used to measure the weight differences between objects. The difference is sometimes as small as one hundredth of a milligram.
Circumstances
In order to measure tiny amounts, analytical balances have safety enclosures to keep out dust particles and common contaminants. Things as small as dust particles can affect sensitive measuring equipment. The enclosure also prevents air currents from entering and affecting the process. Lab scales need frequent calibrating and calibration vendors supply the products and services needed. In fact, some vendors offer complete weighing solutions for business.
