beam balance![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Compares the mass of a body with that of another body of known mass (weight); when two pans hanging from a bar (beam) are in balance, the two weights are equal.
pan ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Flat rigid support that holds either the body to be weighed or the weights.
beam ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Horizontal metal bar that balances on a vertical axis and has pans hanging from each end.
weight ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Piece of metal, such as copper or iron, of known mass that is placed on a pan to balance the scale and thereby assess the corresponding mass of a body.