How do you determine an object's mass without weighing them or using density?

Question

Does any one know of any relatively simple "experiment" which I can set up that will help me determine an object's mass? I may not use a scale to weigh them. I also may not use their densities to determine the mass. You may not use the old type of weight scale which you balance the unknown's weight with a known one. Please help me

Answer 1

Don't know if this is 'simple' enough ... Apply a known force in the horizontal direction on frictionless table. Measure the acceleration.

F = m*a

I can't think of another way.

Answer 2

utilising the water technique reported basically works in the journey that your merchandise floats! If it is so dense it sinks then quantity of water displaced equals the quantity of the article yet would be below the mass...here's a thank you to alter the approach so which you get the water displaced equivalent to the mass each and each time. Fill a extensive field with water. place a 2d great field that floats into the water (like a mini boat). With the mini boat interior the water, place the enormous field in an excellent greater one yet with out water and make sure the water field is crammed to the acceptable. place your mass interior the 'boat' and degree the quantity of water displaced (assuming your mini boat is adequately enormous it nonetheless floats!). The MASS of the quantity of water displaced is comparable to the mass of your merchandise. yet in a diverse thank you to calculate the mass is to apply an rectangular field on your boat and degree the gap it 'sinks down' once you upload your merchandise. the gap sunk x circumstances the component to your boat backside supplies the quantity of water displaced. this protects you having to 'seize' the spilled water. you may could place the article interior the boat interior the path of this is floor to make sure the boat sinks down point so the replace in height measurement circumstances component to boat backside supplies the real displacement. in case you located the load off center, so the back of the boat is under the front, you may could degree the replace in height / intensity on the back and front and popular them to get the conventional height displacement. for this reason an entire shipment deliver will sit down lots decrease interior the water than an empty one. in case you be attentive to the dimensions of the deliver and the quantity of height it sunk down, you may calculate the mass of its shipment!

Answer 3

"I may not use a scale to weigh them. "

Let someone else do it.

Answer 4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders_of_magnitude_%28mass%29