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How to Make a Homemade Scale That Measures Rocks for Kids

Rock collecting can teach children about their environment and may even provide the path to a career in geology or civil engineering. Once your child begins to collect and the collection grows, it's important to organize the rocks so that he knows what they are and where they come from. One way to classify the rocks is by weight, but you'll need a scale to get this measurement.

Things You'll Need

Flat ruler
Cardboard
Scissors
Glue
2-inch diameter PVC pipe
Permanent marker
Rocks
Dimes
Pennies
Nickels
Quarters

Instructions

- 1
  Cut two squares out of cardboard that are 3 inches on each side.
- 2
  Glue the squares to opposite ends of the ruler.
- 3
  Lay the PVC pipe on a flat surface and place the ruler across the middle of the pipe.
- 4
  Place a rock on one of the cardboard platforms.
- 5
  Place a stack of pennies, nickels, dimes or quarters on the opposite cardboard platform until the ruler is parallel to the flat surface the PVC pipe is sitting on.
- 6
  Determine the weight of the rock using the weight of the coins. A balanced scale has equal weights on either side. Here are the weights of American coins: dime -- 2.2 grams; penny -- 2.5 grams; nickel -- 5 grams; quarter -- 5.7 grams. For example, if it takes five quarters to balance the scale, then the rock weighs 28.5 grams.

Rocks & Minerals