What Does Steelyard Mean?

: a balance in which an object to be weighed is suspended from the shorter arm of a lever and the weight determined by moving a counterpoise along a graduated scale on the longer arm until equilibrium is attained.

What is a steelyard used for?

Steelyards of different sizes have been used to weigh loads ranging from ounces to tons. A small steelyard could be a foot or less in length and thus conveniently used as a portable device that merchants and traders could use to weigh small ounce-sized items of merchandise.

How does a steelyard work?

The steelyard balance has been around since ancient times. It works by employing a counterweight and lever to weigh objects. Leverage is adjusted by sliding the counterweight on a metal arm. The balance may be used to demonstrate the principles of torque and center of mass.

Alexander Ross

Alexander Ross

Gaming, Esports & Interactive Media Writer

Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.