UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

CALIBRATION OF PLATFORM SCALE BALANCE

Experiment No. 5

Submitted by:
Name:
Student No.
Date:

Submitted to:
Engr. Edwin S. Bautista
Faculty-In-Charge

Experiment No. 5
TITLE: Calibration of Platform Scale Balance

OBJECTIVES:

1. To learn how to calibrate a platform scale balance.

2. To be able to plot the curve of the reading and percent of error.

3. To understand the working principle of a platform scale balance.

THEORY:

Platform scales are widely used in engineering works particularly in power plant
for measuring weight. It consists of levers, graduated beam, which are arranged so that
when a load is applied on the platform, it can be balanced by weight applied on the end
of graduated beam, or by shifting the weight along the length of the graduated beam. If
the balancing is perfect, the magnitude of applied load can be determined. The weight
applied at the end of the graduated cylinder and the magnitude of applied load on the
platform is known as leverage ratio.

Sensitiveness can be determined by finding the smallest weight that may be

added to detect the balance position of the beam in the following manner:

1. No load

2. 25 kg

3. 50 kg

APPARATUS:

Platform scale balance and set of weights

PROCEDURE:

In calibrating platform scales, the graduated beam must first be set in a

horizontal position. This can be done by carefully leveling the scale. The poise should
be set up to zero so that the arm shall come to rest mid-way between the stops.
Standard weights should now be placed at the four corners and the center of the
platform with one a time. Take scale readings at each position and perform the same
procedure while increasing the weights using several trials. Take the average of the five
readings and compare it with the standard weights.

DATA:
 SCALE READING
TRIAL STANDARD AVERAGE %ERROR
WEIGHT 1 2 C 3 4 Std−Ave
¿ x100%
Std
1 5 kg 5 5 5 5 5
2 10 9.9 9.8 9.8 9.9 9.8
3 15 14.8 14.8 14.8 14.9 14.9
4 20 19.8 19.9 19.7 19.8 19.7
5 25 24.8 24.8 24.7 24.6 24.7
6 30 29.6 29.7 29.7 29.7 29.6
7 35 34.5 34.5 34.7 34.6 34.7
8 40 39.5 39.6 39.6 39.6 39.5
9 45 44.5 44.4 44.6 44.6 44.4
10 50 49.5 49.4 49.6 49.6 49.5
11 55 54.3 54.4 54.5 54.5 54.4
12 60 59.3 59.2 59.5 59.4 59.4

NO LOAD HALF LOAD (25 kg) FULL LOAD (50 kg)

SENSITIVENESS 0.2 0.3 0.5

NAME (optional) WT. in kg

Platform Balance (Top View)

1 3

2 4

REPORT:

1. Plot the observed weight (average) as abscissa and standard weight as ordinate.
Use appropriate scale.
2. Plot the calibration curve (error curve) between the weight in kg as read from the
beam scale (average) as abscissa and the % error of the scale as ordinate. Positive
above and negative error below the axis.
Note:
std . weight −ave . weight
% error= x 100 %
std . weght

3. Explain in details the working principle of a platform balance. Use diagrams if it

necessary.

4. Why is it necessary to calibrate the platform balance from time to time? Name some
causes of the deterioration of any machine and explain briefly using your own words.

DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES