Spring balances measure weight by the deflection of a spring, but can be inaccurate and wear out over time. Force gauges use the extension of a spring to determine force. Spring scales must be calibrated and checked regularly. They are used in supermarkets and portable versions are available for field work and education.
A spring balance is a balance that measures weight by determining the deflection of a spring. As long as the spring is in good shape, the spring balance will be reasonably accurate. The big advantage of this type of scale is that it is cheap and very easy to use. The main disadvantage is that spring scales are not always very accurate and wear out over time, which causes the scale to register weights incorrectly.
The design of a force gauge takes advantage of the fact that if you know how far a spring extends from a rest state, you can determine the amount of force required to extend the spring to that point. As long as the metal in the spring isn’t stretched beyond its spring, it should give a reasonably accurate reading, which the balance can register in a variety of ways, depending on the design.
Spring scales must be carefully calibrated to work properly. The properties of the individual balance spring should be known to the manufacturer and the balance should be checked regularly to confirm that it is accurate. If the spring is overloaded and worn, it will distort the scale’s results, creating an inaccurate reading. The spring can also break, causing the balance to fail altogether.
A classic example of a spring scale can be found in the produce departments of many supermarkets. With this type of scale, people place objects in a tray held under the spring scale, and the weight of the objects causes the spring to expand. The scale dial reflects the amount of deflection experienced by the spring, indicating how much force was exerted on the spring to cause it to move. Spring scales are used in many settings where people need to weigh things quickly and pinpoint accuracy is not necessarily needed.
Several companies sell portable spring scales with hooks which can be extremely useful. To use such a scale, the scale is hung on a stationary object and the object to be weighed is attached to the hook. This lightweight scale design is useful for people who do field work, as it allows them to weigh objects in the field without having to carry around a large scale. These small spring scales are also sometimes used in the classroom to educate children about weights and measures and to introduce students to the basic properties of springs.
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