Weighing the right way - guidelines for accurate results and better weighing techniques’ is downloadable now from the Mettler Toledo website.
The balance is one of the most crucial instruments in a laboratory. Factors affecting weighing accuracy can of course negatively influence both results and conclusions Thankfully, technological advances in electronics have considerably simplified the operation of balances, reducing weighing times, and making specialised ‘weighing rooms’ unnecessary, except perhaps for ultra-micro balances. Touchscreen digital displays have also made operation of the balance more intuitive, reducing the need for training.
However, care must still be taken to avoid the negative influences such as electrostatic forces, airflow, and environmental vibrations, magnetism effects and evaporation, which can still affect weighing accuracy.
It is instructive therefore to find that Mettler Toledo have made available a useful guide to ‘Weighing the Right Way’, which outlines their recommendations on how to achieve more accurate weighing results and avoid mistakes when working with laboratory balances.
Such a guide is helpful because the ease of use of the modern balance can lead to insufficient care being taken to avoid the negative influence on analysis results caused by the multiple factors that can still affect weighing accuracy. It includes suggestions on the optimum location of a balance, proper operation of this sensitive instrument and analysis of possible external influences and their effects, usually recognisable by a slow change (drift) in the display.
‘Weighing the right way - guidelines for accurate results and better weighing techniques’ is downloadable now from the Mettler Toledo website.
