Send to a Friend

How does a doctor's scale work?
It appears to be a simple lever. The patient stands on one side and the slider is moved along the other side until there is balance. The problem is that the slider does not weigh very much and the distance it is moved is not all that large. The length of the end that the patient stands on would have to be tiny. It just does not seem mechanically possible. What am I missing?
Using Fluther
or