Meter Stick Experiment

In the experiment we conducted, we were attempting to find the mass of a meter stick only using the meter stick and a 100 gram weight. 

When balancing a meter stick, the torques have to be equal, but the forces to not.

To find torque, you must know the equation

Torque= Force * Lever Arm

The meter stick was balanced in a way similar to the following picture

Since it was balanced, we knew the clockwise and counterclockwise torques were equal.

So, we multiplied the force and lever arm of the weighted side to find the torque.

Then, we divided that number by the length of the opposite lever arm.

This gave us the force of that side of the meter stick.

When you divide this number by the numerical value of gravity, you will have the mass!