Laboratory Notes by Professor Tait a. On the Application of Sir W. Thomson's Dead-Beat Arrangement to Chemical Balances

Extract

A considerable amount of time is lost in making an accurate weighing on account of the slowness of oscillation of the balance when the loads are nearly equal; and this loss of time is nearly proportional to the delicacy or sensitiveness of the balance. Hence it becomes a matter of importance to endeavour to bring the balance speedily to rest without, if possible, impairing its sensitiveness; as thus much time and labour would be saved in weighing. Several methods of applying gaseous friction for this purpose have been tried by me of late.