# Standing on scales - one leg or two?



## bobjim (7 Jun 2009)

Hi,
    Silly kind of question but it's been bugging me. I'm currently on crutches because of a broken ankle and decided to weigh myself because I thought I had put on weight due to lack of exercise. So I stood on one leg on the scales but my wife said that because I wasn't standing on both legs, the reading wouldn't be accurate. Now I'm almost sure that it makes no difference (vaguely remembering Leaving Cert Physics, mass, centre of gravity etc) but am not confident enough in this to be able to crush her!

Can anyone give me a definitive answer?

Cheers,
bobjim


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## Sue Ellen (7 Jun 2009)

Well if she stands on the scales on both legs and weighs heavier than standing on the scales with one leg then surely you have your answer?


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## huskerdu (7 Jun 2009)

I must be having a quiet afternoon, because I just ran upstairs and checked. 

I stood on the scales on one leg and on both and the result was identical.


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## so-crates (7 Jun 2009)

Where you stand on the scales and whether they are mechanical or digital scales may make a minor difference. But logically no reason why the number of points of contact should make a difference. Unless you stick your other leg on the side of the bath


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## Padraigb (7 Jun 2009)

Sue Ellen has nailed it neatly. 

If, however, she refuses because she doesn't want to cause herself anxiety over her weight, you might use one leg and one crutch. Do bear in mind that the plaster cast will weigh a little.


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## z109 (7 Jun 2009)

The quality of your scales will come into it - if you have a good quality scales, it should make no difference, the cheaper quality ones it seems to (at least on our scales). You may be able to overcome this by standing in the middle on your one leg.

A further question, what if you are Jake the Peg diddle-diddle-um?


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## baldyman27 (7 Jun 2009)

yoganmahew said:


> A further question, what if you are Jake the Peg diddle-diddle-um?


 
Is there an opening for three-legged scales?

I checked there too on a digital scales and there is no difference. Now the scales is broken though.


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## so-crates (7 Jun 2009)

Good to see scientific experimentation is alive and well


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## zztop (8 Jun 2009)

I gained 7 lbs in one week.......bought a new scale.Depressed me no end.


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## sparkeee (8 Jun 2009)

the law of gravity applies with one leg or two.


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## runner (8 Jun 2009)

zztop said:


> I gained 7 lbs in one week.......bought a new scale.Depressed me no end.



If you are overweight, you dont have a leg to stand on.


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## BillK (8 Jun 2009)

zztop said:


> I gained 7 lbs in one week.......bought a new scale.Depressed me no end.


 Clearly you depressed the scales a fair bit too!


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## cleverclogs7 (8 Jun 2009)

huskerdu said:


> I must be having a quiet afternoon, because I just ran upstairs and checked.
> 
> I stood on the scales on one leg and on both and the result was identical.


 

lol....of course it would be   all the weight is still on the scales.even if you stood on your hands the weight would be the same.


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## jpd (9 Jun 2009)

I weighed myself with two legs and the scale read 84Kgs. Then I chopped off one leg, and I only weighed 80Kgs!


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## Chocks away (9 Jun 2009)

I tried the one leg lark. Couldn't read the LED as it was blurring. Spent ten minutes trying to get back up and extricate my wrist from the WC


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## pudds (9 Jun 2009)

lol the whole thing is to try and stay as steady as possible to get an accurate reading, and of course two legs are better than one to achieve this object.


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