Final answer:
Taring a scale after placing weighing paper is crucial to zero the weight of the paper and to provide accurate measurements of the material itself. This practice is essential for precision and accuracy in scientific experiments.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is important to tare the scale after placing the weighing paper on the scale for multiple reasons. The primary reason is a) To zero the weight of the weighing paper, which ensures that the weight of the material itself is measured without the additional weight of the paper. This practice significantly b) increases accuracy in measurements.
Scales, like those mentioned in your question, detect weight but are often calibrated to display mass. When you stand on a bathroom scale, for example, it measures the force of gravity acting on your body, which is then divided by the acceleration due to gravity to calculate your mass. On the Moon, the scale would read differently because the gravitational pull is less, but your mass remains constant.
In precise chemical workflows, accurate measurements are critical for reasons, including ensuring correct chemical ratios for reactions and avoiding wastage of materials. Measurement uncertainty exists in every tool, so whenever possible, high-precision instruments that measure mass to the nearest thousandth of a gram are preferred for their accuracy and precision.