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Conde
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I am unsure how bathroom scales work. Does your weight compress or depress the spring? Do scales measure the upward or downward force? Please explain in detail.
Conde said:I am unsure how bathroom scales work. Does your weight compress or depress the spring? Do scales measure the upward or downward force? Please explain in detail.
Conde said:Thanks for your reply. I am still confused as to whether when you stand on a scale you are pushing the spring down, which sounds more likely or whether as is written in some books, the spring is pushing up. Also is your weight measured from the scale pushing up, or from your weight pushing down. I appreciate the clarification so I can really understand how the scale works.
Both! You push the spring down and in return, it pushes you back up.Conde said:Thanks for your reply. I am still confused as to whether when you stand on a scale you are pushing the spring down, which sounds more likely or whether as is written in some books, the spring is pushing up. Also is your weight measured from the scale pushing up, or from your weight pushing down. I appreciate the clarification so I can really understand how the scale works.
It must be both or neither: because they come in pairs, it can't be one or the other. But whether it is both or neither is a choice I leave to you. To explain what the scale actually does: the scale has sensors (as turbo suggested) that directly measure the movement (strain) of the spring. The scale then calculates the force required to cause that amount of movement.Conde said:Thanks everyone,
one last question which I still do not have clarified is whether the scale is measuring the restoring force or the actual force of the weight.
Yes, standing on the bathroom scale can affect the accuracy of the reading. When you stand on the scale, your weight compresses the spring inside the scale, causing it to stretch and give a reading. The more weight you put on the scale, the more the spring will compress, resulting in a higher reading.
Yes, over time, the spring inside the bathroom scale can become permanently compressed from repeated use. This can lead to inaccurate readings and the need for the scale to be replaced.
The spring inside the bathroom scale is designed to compress when weight is placed on it. The amount of compression is then converted into a reading on the scale, which is displayed in units of weight, such as pounds or kilograms.
If someone with a much heavier weight stands on the bathroom scale after someone with a lighter weight, the spring will compress even more, resulting in a higher reading. This is because the spring has already been compressed from the first person's weight, and the additional weight will cause it to compress further.
No, the accuracy of the reading on a bathroom scale can be affected by standing in different spots on the scale. This is because the spring inside the scale may be more or less compressed depending on where you stand. To get the most accurate reading, it is best to stand in the same spot on the scale each time you use it.