Why should you not weigh a hot crucible?
Matthew Barrera
Updated on April 18, 2026
People also ask, why must Crucible be cooled before weighing?
You must let the crucible cool before measuring it because the heat from the crucible warms the surrounding air, which rises, then that air cools down and falls. This rise and fall of surrounding air is called a convection current and will give you an unsteady reading that is rising and falling.
One may also ask, why do things weigh more when hot? The reason why hot objects are heavier is because . If you have absolutely identical objects that have the same weight exactly when they are at same temperature, then when one object is heated, it will weigh more. This is because the gravitational force depends on the stress energy tensor in general relativity.
Just so, why should you not weigh a hot object?
A hot object creates a buoyancy effect by radiating energy in the form of heat and will appear to have a reduced mass. In addition, the hot object may cause damage to the delicate balance and so should be allowed to cool to room temperature before it is weighed.
Why we do not allow the crucible to become red hot?
Never touch a red hot crucible with the tongs. The high heat used will soften the enamel enough so that some it will stick to the tongs and thereby lead to erratic weights. Crucibles should never be placed directly on your desk.