Finding Mass of Object without Scale

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To find the mass of an aluminum rod without a scale, one can calculate its volume using its dimensions and then apply the density of aluminum. The discussion highlights that the rod's shape, likely a circular cylinder, is crucial for volume calculation. Some participants suggest alternative methods, such as applying a constant force and measuring acceleration, though this may still require a scale for force measurement. The conversation also touches on using Coulomb's law or Hooke's Law for different acceleration methods. Ultimately, understanding the rod's dimensions and density is key to determining its mass.
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I need to find the mass of an aluminum rod without the use of a scale. I have all the dimensions of the rod but I just don't know the right equations etc. Thanks for the help!
 
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This sounds like it might be a homework problem. Perhaps you know the volume of the rod, and its density?

Maybe you're stuck finding the volume of a "rod". A "rod" could have a lot of shapes, though the first one that springs to mind is that of a circular cylinder.

I think that if this is a homework problem you'd do better if you made some effort to solve it yourself, first (the "show your work" rule) - also, there is a special forum for homework problems.
 
SirSpanky0 said:
I need to find the mass of an aluminum rod without the use of a scale. I have all the dimensions of the rod but I just don't know the right equations etc. Thanks for the help!
You can accelerate it with a constant force and then divide the force exerted and the acceleration and that will give you the mass. Easy to say, hard to do for a lab experiment in school.

Pete
 
pmb_phy said:
You can accelerate it with a constant force and then divide the force exerted and the acceleration and that will give you the mass. Easy to say, hard to do for a lab experiment in school.

Pete

Yes, but how are you going to calculate the force with which you accelerate? you may still need a scale.
 
amt said:
Yes, but how are you going to calculate the force with which you accelerate? you may still need a scale.
It depends on the particular way you choose to accelerate it. If you use two charges then you use Coulombs law. If you use a spring then you use the law for springs (the name evades me at the moment).

Pete
 
pmb_phy said:
[...]If you use a spring then you use the law for springs (the name evades me at the moment).

Would this be Hooke's Law (F = kx)? Sorry if I'm wrong, I just like to think I know what's going on once in a while :-p
 
Last edited:
I do not have a good working knowledge of physics yet. I tried to piece this together but after researching this, I couldn’t figure out the correct laws of physics to combine to develop a formula to answer this question. Ex. 1 - A moving object impacts a static object at a constant velocity. Ex. 2 - A moving object impacts a static object at the same velocity but is accelerating at the moment of impact. Assuming the mass of the objects is the same and the velocity at the moment of impact...

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