Do You Know How Digital Scales Work？

Weighing machine is so common that it is easy to forget its deeper meaning. The scale has long been the main arbitrator of human trade, a prerequisite for transportation, and an indispensable member of the pharmaceutical industry. From the smallest and most optimized laboratory balance to 10 x 120 feet (3 x 37 meters) pit monsters that weigh train cars and tractor-trailers, weight scales make modern life possible.

The History of Scales

Weighing appeared in the minds of ancient builders, inventors, and economic advisers. The small balance weight can be traced back to the beginning of the fourth millennium BC and provides some preliminary hints about human beings' evolving grasp of numbers. Egypt's most basic remaining balance scale predates the dynasty, and its construction date is earlier than 3000 BC. Like us, the ancient Egyptians used weighing scales when trading and analyzing ores and alloys.

Different Scales Have Different Structures

Weighing balance that weigh objects by aligning them with one or more reference weights have a delicate touch and are still used in laboratories. Although they are all used for weighing, there are different physical principles and mechanical components between scales and scales to measure weight and other forces. For example, spring scales use Hooke's law to measure weight, which relates force (weight) to the tension or compression of a spring made of a given material.

Of course, not all scales use springs, but all scales use mechanical parts to measure weight. The difference between a mechanical weighing scale and a digital measuring scale is only in the way the weight is displayed mechanically or electronically. The digital scale uses an analog-to-digital converter to convert the continuous reading data on the scale into discrete digital information. This method is very similar to the way the CD or MP3 encoding scheme digitizes the music waveform.

Generally speaking, digital weighing balances require less expertise, and have higher accuracy and faster processing capabilities, compared to digital scales with mechanical readings. However, the functionality of specific equipment may vary, especially when the weight is in tons. Whether they are stretched, compressed, or swayed, in any case, most modern electronic weighing machines have a common component: the load cell.

How Does an Electronic Scale Work

The exquisite engineering and complex milling parts of the scale alone are enough to inspire any technology enthusiast. Move your sight from accessory equipment and electrical appliances to the heart of any equipment, especially equipment used for measurement, and you will find something more wonderful: the laws of physics, cleverly using a series of specific and useful tools.

The laws of physics are the magic weapon of science. In this article alone, we have mentioned Hooke's spring law. Besides, there are Pascal's law of fluid pressure, Boyle's law describing the behavior of gases, Charles's law and Guy-Loussac's law, and Ohm's law of resistance. Not to mention the various unnamed laws governing stress and strain.

Therefore, the next time you meet a politician who cuts science education in the name of a balanced budget, it may be worth reflecting on the fact that it took hundreds of years of scientific exploration to make our most durable financial facilitator possible. But if you just want to buy a smart kitchen scale or a bamboo kitchen scale, you don't have to worry too much.