Measuring Volume With The Overflow Method
Name: _________________
Materials
Overflow Cup
Regular Cup
Al Pie Plate, 12”
Graduated Cylinder, 25ml
Graduated Cylinder, 100ml
Toothpicks
Super ball
Prelab Question
Make an estimate: the volume of the rubber Super ball is approximately (circle one):
1ml
40ml
200ml
4000ml
Procedure
Part A: Identifying the Overflow Level
1. Place the Overflow Cup in the pie plate. Fill the Regular Cup about 1cm from the top with
water.
2. Using the Regular Cup, slowly add water to the Overflow Cup until the water begins to
overflow. Notice the level at which the water overflows is a little higher than the edge of
the cup! (Cool, huh?) Remember this overflow “threshold” level.
3. Gently tilt the Overflow Cup backward, lift it out of the pie plate, and set it aside.
Carefully pour the water from the pie plate back into the Regular Cup.
4. Place the Overflow Cup back into the pie plate and add water again to the overflow
threshold level -- where the water is ready to but does not spill out. You are now ready to
measure the volume of an object using the overflow method.
Part B: Measuring the Volume of an Object
1. Gently place a Super Ball into the Overflow Cup. Notice water will begin to spill
immediately, as it should. Release the ball before your fingers enter the water but do not let
the ball splash into the water. If you do drop the ball in too hard, set up the Overflow Cup
again and try until you succeed.
2. If the ball floats you will need to hold the ball underwater until it is completely submerged.
Make sure you submerge the ball only and not your fingers!
© B. Lamore 2008
3. Now you need to measure the volume of water in the pie plate. To do this tilt the Overflow
Cup backward, lift it out of the pie plate, and set it aside. Pour the water from the pie plate
into the graduated cylinder. Record your volume data in the table below.
4. Repeat this experiment (at least) three times and find the average of your three trials.
Compare you average value with that of other lab groups.
Trial
1
2
3
Average
© B. Lamore 2008
Volume (ml)