Instrument used to find mass

_ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ?

i don't know, a scale really, their is no such thing as a massometer, and although it doesn't fill the blanks, a spectrometer does too

A balance. As I've written a number of times, farmers weigh a sack of potatoes on a scale. In the laboratory we use a balance.

The instrument used to find mass is a _ _ _ _ _ _. To determine the missing word, let's break down the given clue: "_ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ?"

Based on the structure of the clue, it appears to be a 7-letter word followed by a hyphen and then a 5-letter word. Let's go through the possibilities for the missing word:

1. Balance: A balance is an instrument commonly used in laboratories to find mass. It consists of two pans suspended from a beam or lever, with objects placed on one side and standard weights on the other side until equilibrium is reached.

2. Scale: A scale is another common instrument used to find mass. It typically operates on the principle of comparing the weight of an object to a known reference weight, commonly displayed on a dial or digital screen.

Considering the context of the question, both balance and scale could be valid answers. However, without additional information, it is difficult to determine the exact instrument referred to.