Earth Space Science
Name: ______________________Date:______Pd:____
TOOLS FOR MEASUREMENT LAB
Introduction
During laboratory investigations, you are often required to make measurements of length, mass, and volume.
You need to know the proper pieces of equipment to select and the procedures and units to use.
Length Measurement
Typically, a metric ruler is used to determine the length of an object. The basic unit of measure for distance
is the meter.
Volume Measurement
Volume measures the space occupied by matter. The basic unit of volume is the liter. Solid, regular shaped
objects can have their three dimension measured to calculate volume (v = length x width x height).
A liter = 1000 cm3.
A graduated cylinder is often used to measure a liquid’s volume. Water and many other fluids form a meniscus
(curving surface) when placed in the narrow tube of a graduated cylinder. To correctly read the volume of the
liquid, place the cylinder on a flat surface. Then read from the bottom of the curved meniscus at eye level.
To find the volume of a solid, you can also use a graduated cylinder. Place a known amount of water in the
cylinder and then place the solid in the cylinder. The amount of water displaced by the solid (the difference in
water level) will be the volume of the solid object. This will not work if the solid floats on the water.
“difference in water level” means you subtract the original volume of water in the graduated cylinder
from the new volume of water after you placed the solid in the graduated cylinder.
Mass Measurement
In the laboratory, mass (the quantity of matter in something) is often measured with a balance, which is a tool
that works by comparing an object of unknown mass with an object of known mass. The triple-beam balance or
an electronic balance is typically found in a high school laboratory. The basic unit of mass is the gram.
Density
The density of an object is the amount of matter found within the object’s volume. This can be calculated using
the formula Density = mas /volume Density = mass ÷ volume D=m/v
____________________________________________________________________________________
Distance:
1. Measure the length of a lab table and record the measurement. ________m
2. Change this measurement to _______cm. Change this measurement to ________mm.
3. Measure the width of the lab table and record the measurement. ________m
4. Change this measurement to ________cm. ___________mm.
5. Measure the length of the room in meters. ________ m Change this to kilometers _________ Km
Volume:
Choose a volume of water to put in graduated cylinder: ___________ mL
1. Now, add a rock to the graduated cylinder : ___________mL
Total volume of the rock, your original volume you chose minus the new volume after adding the rock:
__________ mL
Change this to ____________L
Original volume of water in cylinder: ___________ mL
2. New volume of water after adding copper wire: _________mL
Total volume of the copper wire: _________mL __________L
Mass: Weigh the following materials.
1. Sharpie ________g
Change this to __________Kg
2. rock ________ g
Change this to _________Kg
3. copper bundle ________ g Change this to _________Kg
Density: show your calculations before the final answer
1. The density of the copper bundle ___________________________________= ___________g/cm3
2. The density of the rock ___________________________________________ = __________ g/cm3
Calculations for #1
Calculations for #2