Torque

[MedPR]

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Why is it a good design that makes the counterweight more massive than the maximum load on a pan balance?

A. So that adjustments to the counterweight's position to compensate for variations in the mass of the load are minimal.
B. So that adjustments to the counterweight's position to compensate for variations in the mass of the load are substantial.

Answer is A, and the reasoning makes sense, except that the wording in answer B makes more sense for the explanation.

Basically, you want a heavy counterweight so that you don't have to move it as far when adjusting for the mass of the load. You want the adjustments to be substantial per unit of adjustment. In other words, a heavier counterweight would have to be moved a smaller distance in order to have the same balancing effect as a lighter counterweight. Isn't B a better explanation of that?

 

[Ssina]

Why is it a good design that makes the counterweight more massive than the maximum load on a pan balance?

A. So that adjustments to the counterweight's position to compensate for variations in the mass of the load are minimal.
B. So that adjustments to the counterweight's position to compensate for variations in the mass of the load are substantial.

Answer is A, and the reasoning makes sense, except that the wording in answer B makes more sense for the explanation.

Basically, you want a heavy counterweight so that you don't have to move it as far when adjusting for the mass of the load. You want the adjustments to be substantial per unit of adjustment. In other words, a heavier counterweight would have to be moved a smaller distance in order to have the same balancing effect as a lighter counterweight. Isn't B a better explanation of

You just said minimal yourself! Basically A, nonetheless, good question, I haven't come across this one before!

 

[MedPR]

You just said minimal yourself! Basically A, nonetheless, good question, I haven't come across this one before!

Initially I was thinking that "substantial adjustments" meant a more substantial gain per unit of movement. But I realize that the answer meant "doesn't require substantial movement to have an impact."

TBR is lame 🙂