How Does A Bathroom Scale Work? (Mr. Wizard)
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- Опубліковано 10 жов 2024
- Learn how a bathroom scale works with Mr. Wizard. Subscribe now for more science, nature and technology clips from the 1980's Nickelodeon show, Mr. Wizard's World, every week on #WizardWednesdays.
Actually this is much more complex than it seems. The spring just moves the arrow but calibrating it and measuring the pound or kg is much more complex than the mechanism itself.
Back when Nickelodeon wasn't crap
Just imagine how the little kid from this show is just a bit younger now than the adult
I think what adds to the confusion here is that the measure of weight is a human made product for our daily earthly life of convenience. I think the way out of the mess and confusion is to see that how it works is that every scale is calibrated to tell you ("to read") exact equivalent to a standard 1kg (metric system of course,I'm not going to bother with the imperial here).
So when you step on a scale it doesn't bother with anything apart from what force is generated on it's surface and how does that translate to it's calibration (with standard 1kg weight under standard local conditions = average temperature and gravity on the surface of earth/generally refered to as a typical room conditions). Calibration is a mechanical process and once a device is calibrated it will mechanically respond as it is calibrated.
So the scale responds to the force applied and it does respond by the way of it's calibration..its process basically expresses the new force applied through the calibrated forces (a force equal to the calibrated 1kg will "read" as 1kg on the scale).
And so it is not a true representation of your mass, it is a representation of your mass which does not take into account the posible gravitational changes or fluctuations (these don't get translated correctly into the measurement of your mass given by the scale - the scale is only responding to the force-it is a man made mechanical device not a 'smart' device).
The scale was calibrated somewhere to recognise the force of a standardised 1kg weight as 1kg and it will display it's "weight" as 1kg (even tho we all know that weight is measured in newtons). It simply works with force applied and what kg number this force coresponds to within it's mechanical settings(digital scales included). It is confusing because of all the alternative inputs, however once you start from understanding what the scale is (simple/primitive mechanical device to measure force and give the reading in kilograms by comparison not equation) then you will slowly get to the clarity of it.
So the answer to what I think was your question is that the scale only responds to the force...it has no idea about your real mass...for that you would need to use other measuring devices (the balance scale would give a more accurate reading as it removes the confusing issue of gravity on Earth - obviously in space this would be also completely useless measurement device and one would have to start using more elaborate ways of measurement to tell a mass of an object)
Mind experiment:
Imagine you're standing on a scale and your friend has his hand on your shoulder and does press down on you with some force.
The scale will show a number in kilograms way bigger than the mass of your body and your friends hand is.
It will give you a representation of the weight (force) in kilograms (given it's calibration) that is applied to the surface of the scale and it will be completely unrelated to the mass of the object that is on the scale. The scale is a convenient yet simple tool built for the purpose and use under room conditions
I loved to watch Mr Wizard (Don Hebert) when I was a kid! Still do!
Oh by the way, hate bill nye
Why hate Bill Nye?
Thank you
OMG... thank you
yes4me no spank you
no... TANK you.
Do you mean like ancient scales? Or just a bathroom scale? ua-cam.com/video/3SThvxCLk6c/v-deo.html
Nice work check out my scale fix , thanks for sharing
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Joe Biden ?