SOME INTERESTING (AND RANDOM) FACTS ABOUT SCALES AND WEIGHING
Do you like discovering new interesting – and random – facts? So do we! For that reason, as weighing specialists, we’ve made a list with some facts about scales.
At Balanças Marques, we are all about science and knowledge. And we’re also passionate about weighing and scales. Therefore, we gathered those two parts of us to share with you some interesting (and random) facts about this theme:
1. Scales are one of the oldest artifacts ever found.
Did you know that the oldest scale ever found dates back from about 2000 BC and came from Indo River Valley, in Asia?
But, nowadays, it’s believed that the scales’ origin goes way back. There are those who estimate that they may exist since 5000 BC. They’ve started out as mechanic instruments, made of wood and with two plates and were used by the Romans and in Ancient Egypt, especially for commercial transactions. But, over the centuries, scales have evolved, have gained more functions, and have become the highly technological digital scales that we know now.
2. The weight varies according to the geographic location.
You didn’t saw this one coming, right? But truth is that the number in your scale can change according to your geographic location.
Why? Because the weight measurement is directly related to gravity. And this property is not the same everywhere on this planet. Gravity varies depending on the distance to the center of the Earth, which may change in line with the altitude and latitude of the place you’re in. So, scales should be calibrated under the geographic zone where they’re going to be used, to avoid the risk of having different weights in different countries.
3. Scales are used in very different areas.
Maybe you’ve never thought much about this. But truth is that weighing is always present in your daily life. Because scales are used in the most diverse areas.
Do you know that homemade cake you’ve baked over the weekend? You’ve probably used your kitchen scale to measure the sugar quantity. And that sugar package you’ve used was also weighed, still on the factory, to ensure that it has the right quantity indicated on the package. And, before it came to you, that same package was probably transported on a truck or an airplane that, yes, was also weighed. And now, after finishing the cake, the fact may be noticed in your weight in the bathroom scale or the doctor’s office scale. This means weighing is everywhere – from the industry until health, passing through cooking and transportation.
Now that you’ve found out some interesting – and completely random – facts about weighing and scales, you can now be considered an apprentice in our area. But to get to the expert level and achieve 100% in our quiz about weighing, you must explore Balanças Marques' blog and learn everything that is to know about concepts, tips, and other aspects. Let’s do it?
