Question
You place a mass of 250 grams on the measurement tray of a triple beam balance and then set the rider on the 500 gram beam to the 200 gram mark (the other riders are set to 0 grams). Which of the following statements is true?
• A. The pointer will be above the zero mark.
• B. The pointer will be below the zero mark.
• C. The pointer will be lined up with the zero mark.
• D. The pointer will move up and down once per second.
• A. The pointer will be above the zero mark.
• B. The pointer will be below the zero mark.
• C. The pointer will be lined up with the zero mark.
• D. The pointer will move up and down once per second.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
To determine the state of the pointer on the triple beam balance, let's analyze the situation:
- You have placed a mass of 250 grams on the measurement tray.
- You have set the rider on the 500 gram beam to the 200 gram mark, which means you are adding 200 grams of weight to the balance.
Now, let's calculate the total weight on the right side:
- Total weight on the right side (from the rider) = 200 grams
On the left side (the tray), you have a mass of:
- Mass on the tray = 250 grams
Now, compare the two sides:
- The left side (tray) has 250 grams.
- The right side (rider) has 200 grams.
Since 250 grams (on the left) is greater than 200 grams (on the right), the pointer will indicate that the left side is heavier. Therefore, the pointer will be below the zero mark.
So, the correct statement is:
**B. The pointer will be below the zero mark.**
- You have placed a mass of 250 grams on the measurement tray.
- You have set the rider on the 500 gram beam to the 200 gram mark, which means you are adding 200 grams of weight to the balance.
Now, let's calculate the total weight on the right side:
- Total weight on the right side (from the rider) = 200 grams
On the left side (the tray), you have a mass of:
- Mass on the tray = 250 grams
Now, compare the two sides:
- The left side (tray) has 250 grams.
- The right side (rider) has 200 grams.
Since 250 grams (on the left) is greater than 200 grams (on the right), the pointer will indicate that the left side is heavier. Therefore, the pointer will be below the zero mark.
So, the correct statement is:
**B. The pointer will be below the zero mark.**