How to Use Coin Scales
It is possible to weigh small objects without having a scientific scale, just by using coins and some items lying around your house. All you need to make a coin scale that is much more accurate than guesstimates is a ruler, a pencil, two 3-inch squares of cardboard, tape, and some loose change. Once the makeshift coin scale has been properly assembled, you will be able to measure items down to near-gram weights.
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Things You'll Need
- 12-inch ruler
- Pencil
- 2 cardboard squares, 3 inches each
- Tape
- Quarters, dimes, nickels, cents
Instructions
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1
Lay the pencil on a table, with either its point or eraser aimed directly toward you. A pencil with a round stem will make for the most accurate weighing with the coin scale.
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2
Place the center of the ruler (6-inch mark) onto the middle of the pencil. The pencil should still be pointed straight in the direction you are facing. Then tape a 3-inch cardboard square flat onto each end of the ruler. Make sure that the cardboard pieces are centered directly before the ends of the ruler, so that weight will be fully supported. For accuracy, use the same amount of tape at each end of the ruler.
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3
Place the object or substance to be weighed on one of the cardboard squares. Then pile coins on top of one another on the cardboard square at the opposite end of the ruler, until each end of the ruler is equally balanced. Quarters weigh 5.67 grams each, dimes are 2.268 grams, nickels weigh 5 grams, and cents are 2.5 grams. Hold the end of the pencil closest to you, or tape each end to the table, to keep it from moving while weighing the object or substance. For weighing a substance that's lighter than a single coin, skip this step and proceed to Step 5.
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4
Add up the weights of the coins that create the balance. This is the weight of the item on the other end of the ruler. This is how to use this scale to weigh an object or substance that's heavier than a single coin.
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5
Determine where on the ruler to place the coin that is estimated to be closest to the weight of the substance you are trying to achieve. Multiply the weight of the substance to be desired by six (the number of inches on the substance's side), then divide that number by the weight of the coin. The number you come out with will tell you how far away to move the coin from the center of the ruler (or fulcrum). If weighing out 4 grams of baking soda, your equation should look like this when using a nickel: (4 g times 6 inches)/ 5g = 24/5= 4.8 inches.
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6
Place the coin on the ruler's measurement that matches your solution to the equation. Make sure to place it on the end opposite the substance being weighed out. In the previous example, you would read 4.8 inches on the ruler and place the edge of the coin exactly that distance from the center. Most rulers have markers to divide inches into multiples of five or 10, which will allow you to be more accurate in your placement of the coin.
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7
Slowly add your objects or substance to the center of the cardboard square, opposite to the coin's side, until the ruler is perfectly balanced. When the weight of the ruler is equally distributed on both sides, you will know the weight of the substance.
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