A very light canister will swing faster than the students can count. Extra mass will slow the device so that counting is possible. To use the inertial balance, students will place the wood block on the edge of a table so the hacksaw and canister stick over the edge. The balance can be anchored with a clamp or just pressed to the tabletop by one student in the team. An object of unknown mass is placed in the canister and the students determine its mass by deflecting the blade so it swings from side to side.
Unknown masses can be such things as nuts and bolts, washers, and pebbles.
The tissue paper called for in the instructions anchors the unknown object in the canister so it will not slosh around and throw off the accuracy. The first step for students is to calibrate the balance. This is done with a standard mass such as a penny. The length of time the balance takes to oscillate 25 times is measured for zero through 10 pennies. The results are plotted on a graph When an unknown mass is placed in the canister, its time will be measured.