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If scratches or damage appear on the surface of Laboratory Calibration Weights, it may indeed affect their accuracy. Here is a detailed analysis:
Mechanisms of the impact of scratches or damage on accuracy
Mass change
Scratches or damage on the surface of the weight may cause local loss or deformation of material, thereby changing its total mass. Even small changes in mass can cause significant errors in high-precision measurements.
For example, for E1 grade calibration weights (the highest accuracy grade), the maximum allowed error is only ±0.00005%. Any mass change outside this range will cause the weight to lose its nominal accuracy.
Center of gravity shift
Deep scratches or damage may change the geometry of the weight and thus affect the location of its center of gravity. This center of gravity shift may cause unstable or inaccurate readings in some precision measuring equipment (such as electronic balances).
Increased surface roughness
Scratches increase the roughness of the weight surface, reducing its stability when in contact with the measuring device. Especially in high-precision balances, changes in surface roughness may cause changes in friction or adsorption, which will affect the measurement results.
The extent of the effect depends on the following factors
Depth and area of the scratch
Shallow and small scratches have little effect on accuracy and can usually be compensated by recalibration.
If the scratch is deep or covers a large area, it may cause non-negligible mass loss or geometric shape change, which requires special attention.
Precision grade of weight
For low-precision weights (such as F2 or M1), slight scratches may not significantly affect their use.
However, for high-precision weights (such as E1 or E2), even a very small mass change may exceed the allowable error range.
Use environment
In high humidity or corrosive environments, scratches may accelerate oxidation or corrosion of materials, further exacerbating mass changes.
In clean environments, the impact of scratches is relatively small, but regular inspections are still required to ensure accuracy.
Precautions
To reduce the occurrence of scratches or damage, the following precautions can be taken:
Correct operation: Avoid collision or friction between weights and other hard objects, and handle them with care.
Special tools: Use special clamps or gloves to handle weights to prevent hand sweat or grease from contaminating the surface.
Proper storage: Store the weights in a dry, clean environment and avoid exposure to dust, moisture or chemicals.
Regular inspection: Check the surface condition of the weights regularly to detect and deal with potential problems in a timely manner.
To ensure the accuracy of the measurement results, the weight status should be checked regularly and appropriate preventive and repair measures should be taken. If the weight is severely damaged or cannot be repaired, it should be replaced in time to avoid adverse effects on the experiment or production.
