Northern Technical University

Technical Engineering College\Mosul

Medical Instrumentation Technology
Engineering

The Analytical Balance

Made BY
Taha Ghassan Adnan
Majd Matti Abdulahad
Aya Amer Ahmed
Baraa Jamal Abdulrahman
 CONTENTS
1. Types of Balances
2. Class designations
3. Definition Analytical Balances
4. Components
5. Work Principle
6. Trouble Shooting
7. Where to locate Analytical Balances
8. How to operate Analytical Balances
9. Evaluating the performance of analytical
balances
10. Analytical Balances calibration
Types of Balances IN LAB FOR DAILY WEIGHING

Analytical Balance
100mg – 100g

Micro balance
2.0 mg – 20.0g

Top load balance

1.0 g – 2.0 kg
Class designations
Semi Micro balance
Class-I
5µg – 500mg Low-capacity
Micro balance &
high-sensitivity balances
2mg – 20g
Class-II
Built-in weights for analytical
Analytical Balance
balances
100mg – 100g &
Laboratory weights for routine
analytical work

Class-III & IV
Top load balance Precision balances
1.0 g – 2.0 kg &
All other weighing equipments
 Definition Analytical Balances

 Analytical balances are extremely sensitive

laboratory tools which were developed to correctly
measure small masses in the laboratory.
 Their readability of an Analytical balance typically
ranges from 0.1mg – 0.01mg
 Components
 1. Windshield
 2. Weighing pan
 3. Display
 4. Keyboard
 5. Levelling screw
 6.Bubble level
 6. Terminal power supply unit
 7. RS232 interface
 8. Not documented
Work Principle

Electronic balances generally use

electromagnetic balance sensors. It weighs fast,
stable and accurate. The electronic balance also
has functions such as automatic calibration,
one-button return to zero, one-button tare, and
fault indication .
 Trouble shooting
 Gravitational acceleration: differences across the globe mean that the
balances calibration may require local adjustment.
 Temperature: Balances take time to equilibrate to laboratory temperature
changes.
 Moisture: Objects or materials that absorb moisture can appear to gain weight.
This may particularly be an issue for objects that have recently been removed from a
desiccator.
 Air flows: Air movement in the laboratory across the pan will cause variations in
the measurement A draft shield reduces this but it will take time for the air within the
draft shield to stabilize once the door is closed.
 Static electricity: This can be one of the biggest causes of frustration when using
a balance if the mass you are measuring wonders up or down and will not stabilize
then there is a good chance that you have a static issue. The static-electrical field
interferes with the electromagnetic field of the balance. To prevent this you can use an
anti-static device which will “fire” positive and negative ions at the weight boat.
Powder. Etc. to neutralize the static charge.
Where to locate Analytical Balances
The balance should not be installed near sources of
electromagnetic radiation such as radio frequency
generators, electric motors, hand held communication
devices (including card less telephones and cell phones)

The balance should not be adjacent to equipment

producing a magnetic field(a magnetic stirrer)

Low humidity increases buildup of static electricity.

Never disconnect the balance from the power

supply and leave it always switched on /
STAND BY mode.

If “OFF” mode: warm-up for 1 hour after

switching ‘ON’ the power supply
How to operate Analytical
Balances
1. Ensure that the instrument is clean and free from dust
with smooth brush (or) lint free duster
2. Silica gel should kept inside the balance chamber
3. Adjusting the bubble at the center
4. Before using ensure that the balance is calibrated
5. While weighing any sample use butter paper & spatula
6. Carefully remove any sample residue / spilled powder
7. Take special care during weighing of liquids
8. Before closure ensure that the pan is empty
Evaluating the performance of
analytical balances
 The best test of repeatability is to use a solid non-magnetic
and non-porous container. Or use a test weight and weigh it
repeatedly after returning to zero at the end of every
weighing cycle .
 If numerical readings turn blank or become frozen.it is safe
to assume that your equipment has a contaminate.is damaged
or mishandled .
 Corner load is term that indicates the ability of an instrument
to generate the same reading for an object regardless of
where it is placed on the weighing pan.
 Linearity testing is done to ensure that the weighing
instrument is delivering the same sensitivity throughout its
functional range .
Analytical Balances calibration
Daily with secondary standard weight box
Daily calibration :

S No Nominal weight Acceptance criteria of

actual weight
1 1g ± 1mg
2 10g ± 2mg
3 100g ± 20mg
Analytical Balance 4 100mg ± 0.1mg
100mg – 100g 5 10mg ± 0.01mg
Drift check: check with 20g weight
Calculation formula W1-W2
W1: before day drift check 20g weight
W2: present day drift check 20g weight
The limit is not more than ± 0.0002g
Analytical Balances calibration
Monthly with Primary standard weight box
Monthly calibration :
1. self-calibration
2.Calibration with External Calibration standard weights

S No Nominal weight Acceptance criteria of

actual weight
1 100g ± 20mg
2 50g ± 20mg
3 20g ± 10mg
Analytical Balance 4 10g ± 2mg
100mg – 100g 5 5g ± 2mg
6 2g ± 1mg
7 1g ± 1mg
8 500mg ± 0.5mg
9 200mg ± 0.2mg
10 100mg ± 0.1mg
11 50mg ± 0.05mg
12 20mg ± 0.02mg
13 10mg ± 0.01mg
Analytical Balances calibration
Monthly with Primary standard weight box
Monthly calibration :
3.Drift check: check with 20g weight
Calculation formula W1-W2
W1: before day drift check 20g weight
W2: present day drift check 20g weight
The limit is not more than ± 0.0002g
4.Uncertainty Test (for five decimal balances):
Take 1g standard weight for this
Analytical Balance Take at least 10 replicate reading for the same
100mg – 100g
Calculate the Standard deviation
Then calculate the uncertainty as follows
3
3 X SD 2
9 4
------------- 10
Mass value 8 5
It should be not more than 0.001 7 6