A Balancing Act

The Balance

An important piece of apparatus available to the Science Technician is the balance. At Philip Harris we know that offering a variety of balances is important to our customers and so we ensure that all capacities, readabilities and decimal places are covered. Looking after the balance is also very important to ensuring that the balance remains accurate for both the student and technicians use.

To measure is to determine the dimensions, capacity, or quantity of anything. A measurement is the extent, capacity, or amount of something as determined by measuring.

Balances are delicate, precision devices and care should be taken when looking after them. Follow the rules below to ensure your balance is well looked after:

• Ensure the balance is level. Do this by adjusting the feet to position the levelling bubble correctly

• Inspect the balance to be sure it is working properly

• Calibrate the balance regularly

• Always check the balance reads zero

• Keep the balance clean

• Work in front of the balance to avoid parallax errors

• Avoid weighing hot objects

• Do not overload the balance

• Never weigh moist objects or chemicals directly on the pans

Calibration of your balance

All the balances sold by Philip Harris are calibrated prior to shipping and we highly recommend that they are calibrated again upon delivery. The effects of both transportation and changes in temperature can have an impact on the balance accuracy. Always follow the manufacturer’s calibration instructions and use weights which are kept separately for this purpose.

The calibration weights sold by Philip Harris are stainless steel cylindrical weights and are an excellent choice when carrying out calibration checks.

We really hope you have found this useful? If you have any questions please get in touch with our Technical Support Team via techsupport@philipharris.co.uk