A weighing scale (or weighing balance) is a device to measure weight or mass. These are also known as mass scales, weight scales, mass balance, weight balance, or simply scale, balance, or balance scale.
The traditional scale consists of two plates or bowls suspended at equal distances from a fulcrum. One plate holds an object of unknown mass (or weight), while known masses are added to the other plate until static equilibrium is achieved and the plates level off, which happens when the masses on the two plates are equal. The perfect scale rests at neutral. A spring scale will make use of a spring of known stiffness to determine mass (or weight). Suspending a certain mass will extend the spring by a certain amount depending on the spring's stiffness (or spring constant). The heavier the object, the more the spring stretches, as described in Hooke's law. Other types of scales making use of different physical principles also exist.

Types of weighing scales

Weighing scales types and their components can be classified and grouped in many ways. They can be categories into factors like the type of industry (cargo, medical, retail…), material type used for (gold, livestock, vehicles…), sensing direction (top-loading, hanging…), functionality (counting, price computing, label printing…)

Personal and office (digital and electronic) weighing scales:

body and bathroom scale, kitchen scale, fishing scale, letter scale, parcel shipping scale, gram scale, food scale, diet and nutrition scale, luggage scale, pocket scale, body fat scale, baby scale.

Platform & Floor Scale:

industrial weighing scales, floor scales, heavy-duty digital weighing scales, platform scales, hook and hanging scales, drum scale, counting scale, ATEX / explosion-proof scale.

Trading and Retail Scale:

retail weighing scales, commercial weighing scale, bench platform scale, gold weight scale, price computing scale, label printing scale, fish scale. carat (diamond weighing balance scale) / Laundromat / farmer / jewelry / storefront / deli / bakery scale, meat counter weighing scales, store scale, restaurant weighing scale.

Hospital and clinical scale:

weight and height scale, BMI weighing scale, body composition analyzer scale, precision balance, analytical balance, medical scale, doctor scale, gym scale, fitness center and club scales, physician scale, professional body/baby / Bariatric/patients scale.

Load cells and sensors:

Weighing indicators:

counting/weighbridge/price computing/tank weighing indicator, remote weight display, weighing controller and terminals.