Re: Scale for weighing fully laden power wheelchairs

[Brad Houser <bradDOThouser@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 17:03:20 GMT, Steve Uhrig wrote:

> Think of this:
>
> If you had TWO scales, and a board bridging them, and put a known
> weight on them, would each scale weigh half the tare (weight minus
> board) weight?
>
> I think you have to add these algebraically, not directly.

How do you add algebraically v. directly? I know only one way to add.

> Each scale is seeing more than the 1/4 load.

How does the whole equal more than the sum of it's parts?

Try this. Take a one hundred lb wheelchair. Cut it into 4 equal pieces and
weigh them. They should each be 25 lbs. The mass doesnt' change. The force
of gravity doesn't change. Therefore the weight (which is the force of
gravity acting on the mass) doesn't change.

Brad H