torsion balance


noun

an instrument for measuring small forces, as electric attraction or repulsion, by determining the amount of torsion or twisting they cause in a slender wire or filament.

Origin of torsion balance

First recorded in 1820–30

British Dictionary definitions for torsion balance

torsion balance

noun

an instrument used to measure small forces, esp electric or magnetic forces, by the torsion they produce in a thin wire, thread, or rod