Balance Lab
Name
Lab, Week #1
BALANCE LAB
Introduction
Several instruments are used for determining the mass of a chemical; these instruments are called “balances.” However, different balances have different measurements, meaning that some balances are more accurate than others. Moreover, there are several techniques that are used or practiced in order to obtain an accurate measurement. The two techniques are direct weighing and weighing by difference. Direct weighing simply means to read the mass or value of the mass directly from the balance. In contrast, weighing by difference requires recording the mass of an object in a container, then recording the mass of the container and then calculate the mass of the object by subtracting the mass of the container from the mass of the object in the container. Doing so, offsets any error from the reading.
<Include purpose of lab experiment>
The purpose of this lab experiment is to get familiar with the different balances available, and how to use direct weighing and weighing by difference, which are methods used to find the weight and mass of chemicals and compounds.
<Brief summary of topic investigating>
The “Balance Lab” is simply an investigation of how different balances have more or less accurate readings, and the different type of weighing methods used with all the available balances.
<State major finding>
Some major findings were that either direct weighing or weighing by difference will give you accurate readings, however, weighing by difference took too long and it was definitely time consuming. In addition, the margin of error from using two different centigrams was minimal and it had no significant change or impact on the weight. Also, I noticed that weighing by difference did give a much more accurate weighing of the copper slug when compared to the measurement taken with an electronic balance.
For example, weighing by difference with a centigram gave a slug value of
Lab, Week #1
BALANCE LAB
Introduction
Several instruments are used for determining the mass of a chemical; these instruments are called “balances.” However, different balances have different measurements, meaning that some balances are more accurate than others. Moreover, there are several techniques that are used or practiced in order to obtain an accurate measurement. The two techniques are direct weighing and weighing by difference. Direct weighing simply means to read the mass or value of the mass directly from the balance. In contrast, weighing by difference requires recording the mass of an object in a container, then recording the mass of the container and then calculate the mass of the object by subtracting the mass of the container from the mass of the object in the container. Doing so, offsets any error from the reading.
<Include purpose of lab experiment>
The purpose of this lab experiment is to get familiar with the different balances available, and how to use direct weighing and weighing by difference, which are methods used to find the weight and mass of chemicals and compounds.
<Brief summary of topic investigating>
The “Balance Lab” is simply an investigation of how different balances have more or less accurate readings, and the different type of weighing methods used with all the available balances.
<State major finding>
Some major findings were that either direct weighing or weighing by difference will give you accurate readings, however, weighing by difference took too long and it was definitely time consuming. In addition, the margin of error from using two different centigrams was minimal and it had no significant change or impact on the weight. Also, I noticed that weighing by difference did give a much more accurate weighing of the copper slug when compared to the measurement taken with an electronic balance.
For example, weighing by difference with a centigram gave a slug value of