The article describes what scales are, briefly gives the history of their creation and discusses their two varieties - floor and kitchen.
Ancient times
From time immemorial, at the dawn of extensive trade relations, people had a need to accurately determine the weight and quantity of a particular product. And if, for example, it is easier with the same grain (you can measure it with buckets and other vessels), then what about something larger and different in weight, for example, with poultry, meat and other non-bulk products? The first scales that were found by archaeologists date back to the 5th millennium BC and were made in Mesopotamia. Also, this device is clearly visible on the papyrus from Ancient Egypt, which dates back to 1250 BC. e. But what is a scale and what are they?
Definition
According to the official terminology, a scale is an apparatus for determining the exact mass of an object through the action of an internal mechanism or comparison with a reference value. The very first scales, which were used all over the world for quite a long time, were lever scales. In appearance and method of weighing, they could differ, but the principle was always the same. The most famous are cups. On thegoods were placed on one bowl, and a reference load (one or more) was placed on the other. By balancing both sides, the mass was accurately determined.
We figured out what scales are, but on what principle do modern and the same floor scales work?
Working principle
There are five types in total. These are lever, spring (in which the weight is determined by the degree of compression or tension of a spirally twisted piece of metal), strain gauge (in which the corresponding sensor is deformed), hydrostatic (where the principle is based on Archimedes' law) and hydraulic.
In everyday life, spring and strain gauges are the most common, as they are small in size, and the latter are highly accurate to fractions of a gram. Now we know what scales are and what is the principle of their operation. Let's talk about the most common in everyday life or production - floor and kitchen.
Outdoor
Such devices for determining the weight are used in enterprises that work with overall and massive loads, which are convenient to put and weigh on the floor, for example, at the post office. In the latter case, they must be stable, accurate and durable.
The second area of their application is purely domestic. Here, floor scales are needed to determine the mass of people who monitor their weight. For example, athletes or just wanting to lose weight. They differ in small size and thickness, act on a spring or tensometric basis. In the first case, they work without any power sources, and for the second, batteries are needed. Although some models are equipped with small solar panels that charge a short-term energy storage unit in ten seconds.
Kitchen scales
Such scales are mainly used by restaurants and other establishments that produce food. They are highly accurate, down to fractions of a gram, small in size, protected from moisture, dirt and high temperatures.
Kitchen scales are also used in household use, when preparing dishes, where the exact weight of ingredients is especially important.
Other applications
A number of other organizations and spheres cannot do without scales. They determine the weight of passengers' luggage at the airport, the mass of trucks at customs and elevators, containers at ports and railway terminals. Sales outlets are the place where we see scales of various modifications most often.
It is an indispensable piece of equipment in chemical, physical and pharmaceutical laboratories and related industries, where the accuracy of the mass of components is extremely important.
Now we know what scales are, what they are for and what main types of these devices exist today.
