I think the point was less about the calibration and more about having a scale that uses an active balance instead of springs. Then you can move the scale from place to place and it will negate any localized effects since both sides of the balance are affected in the same way.

janSIy

From: tlhIngan-Hol <tlhingan-hol-bounces@lists.kli.org> on behalf of Alan Anderson <qunchuy@alcaco.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2020 3:55 PM
To: tlhingan-hol@kli.org <tlhingan-hol@kli.org>
Subject: Re: [tlhIngan Hol] weight of cheb
 
It’s true that most scales we use are “not legal for trade”, and measure force without regard for local variations in gravitational acceleration.

In order to be legal for trade, a scale must be calibrated and certified. The process of doing so involves using a known mass. A calibrated scale *does* compare the object being weighed against that mass, albeit indirectly.

-- ghunchu'wI'

> On Oct 29, 2020, at 11:59 AM, Will Martin <willmartin2@mac.com> wrote:
>
> Most scales we use don’t compare two masses. They merely measure the compression of a spring or the deviation of properties of electricity passing through a physically stressed material, because that’s cheaper to make and easier to get a reading from, so we measure weight, not mass, unless we have the classic “doctor’s scale”.
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