Place an empty weighing pan on the pan support. Insert the top of the pan support's bow in the top notch of the end loop.
Slide the hundreds mass and the tens mass to the zero position. Turn the dial to the zero position.
Turn the balance adjustment knob on the left end of the beam slowly until the pointer line on the right end of the beam lines up with the zero on the balance indicator. Rotate the knob clockwise if the line is above the left line, or rotate the knob counterclockwise if the line is below the left line.
Place the specimen on the weighing pan. Use a weighing dish or weighing paper if you are massing a chemical. Then mass by difference.
Move the 200 mass to the first notch if the specimen is over 100 g. If the specimen is under 100 g, skip to the next step. Continue to move the mass to the right, one notch at a time, until the pointer line drops below the balance indicator line. Then move the 200 mass back one position.
Move the 100 mass to the right until the pointer line drops below the balance indicator line. Then move the 100 mass back one position. Repeat this step for the 10 mass.
Turn the gram dial slowly in a clockwise direction until the pointer line matches exactly to the balance indicator line.
View each mass by looking through its window. The hundreds place and tens place are the values indicated. For example, the 100 mass shows a "0" and the 10 mass shows a "40." The total should be calculated as 40 g.
Locate the number that is to the right of the zero mark on the dial. This is the value of the ones place. For example, the digit to the right of the zero mark is a "0." The total should remain at 40 g.
Count the number of lines between the zero mark and the ones digit to the right of the zero mark. This is the value of the tenths place. For example, there are five lines between the zero mark and the ones digit. The total should be calculated as 40.5 g.
Find the first line on the hundredths scale that matches with any line on the gram dial, start at the 0.05 line and move counterclockwise. This is the value of the hundredths place. For example, the matching line is three spaces to the left of the 0.05 line. The hundredths value should be calculated as "8." Your total should be 40.58 g.