"hahabogus" > wrote in message
...
>
> There are scales that will convert weight to mass...but they use a code
> for each item and come with a booklet with the codes. These booklets
> are...

You are confusing mass with volume. As was pointed out earlier, the
relation of weight to volume is density and the "codes" you refer to (the
conversion factors) are the densities of the stuff you are weighing and wish
to find the volumes.

The relation of weight (a force) to mass is the acceleration of gravity.
Under standard gravity, a pound mass is pretty much equal to one pound
weight. Here on the surface of planet earth, the acceleration of gravity is
very close to the standard gravity. On the moon where gravity is much less,
one pound mass does not weigh even close to one pound.

If you have a cubic foot of something and you know that its density is 10
pounds per cubic foot, you can calculate that its weight is its volume times
its density or 10 lb.

A very accurate scale can be calibrated to account for the slight variation
of gravity for its location and other factors to give a very precise mass
measurement (not directly but from weight).

Mitch