The basic principle of operation of a beam balance is-----------------

A.

Hooke's law

B.

Archimedes principle

C.

law of flotation

D.

principle of moments

Correct answer is D

Hooke's Law states that the extension of a spring is proportional to the load that is applied to it. A variety of materials obey this law as long as the load does not exceed the material's elastic limit.

Archimede's Principle states that a body immersed in a fluid experiences an upthrust equal to the weight of the fluid displaced, and this is fundamental to the equilibrium of a body floating in still water.

When a body floats in a liquid, the weight of the liquid displaced by its immersed part is equal to the total weight of the body. This is the law of floatation.

The Principle of Moments states that when a body is balanced, the total clockwise moment about a point equals the total anticlockwise moment about the same point.