In a counter balanced system does the counter balance contribute to the system inertia?
A counter balance only helps reduce the effect of gravity. The mass of the counter balance still contributes to the system inertia. For example, a satellite in orbit about the earth experiences very little gravity and is weightless, but when set in motion, continues in that motion. The motion continues because of the satellite’s inertia, or the property of a body to either stay at rest or stay in motion. This property is proportional to the mass of the body, not its weight. Since the counterbalance cancels out the effect of gravity, but adds mass to the system, the counterbalance’s inertia must be considered as well.
