1. Historical overview

Reminder

A scale always measures a weight, which is the resultant force of a mass.

The same mass can have different weights depending on :

• its density in relation to that of the surrounding fluid (temperature, pressure, humidity, etc.);

• in relation to gravity: p = mg.

The scale only delivers a mass indication after calibration.

In this article, for the sake of readability, we'll only talk about variations in mass. It's a good idea to have a clear understanding of the differences between weight and mass.