Ambient Temperature	The temperature of the medium surrounding the load cell.
Angular Load, Concentric	A load applied concentric with the primary axis at the point of application and at some angle with respect to the primary axis.
Angular Load, Eccentric	A load applied eccentric with the primary axis at the point of application and at some angle with respect to the primary axis.
Axial Load	A load applied along or parallel to and concentric with the primary axis.
Calibration	The comparison of load cell outputs against standard load tests.
Calibration Curve	A record of the comparison of load cell outputs against standard test loads.
Compensated Temperature Range	The range of temperature over which the load cell is compensated to maintain rated output and zero balance within specific limits.
Compensation	The utilization of supplementary devices, materials or processes to minimize known sources of error.
Creep	The change in load cell signal occurring with time while under load and with all environmental conditions and other variables remaining constant. This is usually measured with rated load applied and expressed in as a percent of rated output over a specific period of time.
Creep Recovery	The change in no load signal occurring with time after removal of a load which had been applied for a specific period of time. This is usually measured over a specific time period immediately following removal of rated load and expressed as a percent of rated output.
Deflection	The displacement along the primary axis of the load cell between no load and rated load conditions.
Eccentric Load	Any load applied parallel to but not concentric with the primary axis.
Error, Combined	The maximum deviation from the straight line drawn between the original no-load and rated load outputs expressed as a percentage of the rated output of the load cell and measured on both increasing and decreasing loads.
Excitation, Electrical	The voltage or current applied to the input terminals of the load cell.
Hysteresis	The maximum difference between load cell output readings for the same applied load; one reading obtained by increasing the load from zero and the other by decreasing the load from the rated output. This characteristic is expressed in percent of rated output.
Input Terminal Resistance	The resistance of the load cell circuit measured at the excitation terminals at standard temperature, with no load applied and with the output terminals open circuited.
Insulation Resistance	The DC resistance measured between the load cell circuit and the load cell structure. This is typically measured at 50VDC and under standard test conditions.
Load Cell	A device which produces an output proportional to the applied weight or force.
Nonlinearity	The maximum deviation of the calibration curve from a straight line between the no-load and rated load outputs expressed as a percentage of the rated output and measured on increasing load only.
Nonrepeatability	The maximum difference between load cell output readings for repeated loadings under identical loading and environmental conditions, expressed as a percentage of the rated output.
Output	The algebraic difference between the signal at no load and the signal at applied load. When output is directly proportional to excitation, it is expressed in terms of excitation such as volts per volt or volts per ampere, etc.
Output Terminal Resistance	The resistance of the load cell circuit measured at the output terminals at standard temperature, with no load applied and with the excitation terminals open circuited.
Rated Capacity	The maximum axial load the load cell is designed to measure within its specifications.
Rated Output	The algebraic difference between the signal at no load and the signal at rated capacity.
Primary Axis	The axis along which the load cell is designed to be loaded.
Resolution	The smallest change in load which produces a detectable signal.
Safe Overload	The maximum load in percent of rated capacity which can be applied to the load cell without producing a permanent shift in performance characteristics beyond those specified.
Safe Temperature Range	The extremes of temperature within which the load cell will operate without permanent adverse change to any of its performance characteristics.
Sensitivity	The ratio of the change of output to the change in load.
Shunt Calibration	Electrical simulation of load cell output by insertion of known shunt resistors between appropriate points within circuitry.
Side Load	Any load acting 90° to the primary axis at the point of axial load application.
Signal	The absolute level of measurable quantity produced at the output terminals of the load cell.
Temperature Effect On Output	The change in output due to the change in ambient temperature. This is usually expressed as the percentage change in output per °F change in ambient temperature as calculated from the change over a test interval.
Temperature Effect On Zero Balance	The change in zero balance due to a change in ambient temperature. This is usually expressed as the change in zero balance in percent of rated output per °F change in ambient temperature as calculated from the change over a test interval.
Ultimate Overload	The maximum load in percent of rated capacity which can be applied before without the load cell experiencing a structural failure.
Zero Balance