Letter 27024

Finding out the weight of US coins  

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My son and I were wondering where we could get a scale that could measure the weight of a penny, be it tarnished or not. Are post offices equipped with the scales needed to measure the weight of a penny, nickel, quarter, half dollar, Anthony dollar, gold dollar and an Eisenhower dollar? How about a jewlery store? Thank you for your time.

Chris Miller
just a mom helping her son with his science project - Corona, CA, USA

If you are looking for an 'average' weight, Chris, take a number of coins and put them on a cheap postal scale you can get for about $4 at Staples or Office Depot, and just divide by the number of coins. If you are looking for subtle weight differences between one particular penny and another, you would need a capable scale which is sometimes called an 'analytic balance'. Your local high school will have one or more in the chemistry lab if you can get access to it.

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

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