Electronic balance
An electronic balance is a very accurate scale for weighing chemicals.
What is it for?
It measures mass, often to a hundredth of a gram, so lab recipes come out just right.
How to use it
Put an empty container on it, press the zero button, then add your chemical and read the mass.
🥽 Safety tip: Never put chemicals straight onto the metal pan. Always weigh them in a container.
Fun fact from Fizzy: Some balances are so sensitive that a breeze can change the reading, so they have glass doors around the pan.
Why the zero button matters
The zero button, often labelled tare, tells the balance to ignore whatever is already on the pan. So if you put an empty dish on, press tare, and then add salt, the screen shows only the mass of the salt.
Mass is measured in grams. A paper clip has a mass of about one gram, so a balance that reads to a hundredth of a gram can notice a hundredth of a paper clip.
Where you would see one
Balances are used in labs, pharmacies, bakeries and post offices. The kitchen scales at home work in a similar way, but are not nearly as accurate.