Title: Measuring Volume
Purpose: Learn to measure the volume of a liquid and the volume of a solid.
Materials:
2 Graduated cylinders (100-mL, 10-mL)
2 Beakers (400-mL, 50-mL)
Rock
Small cubes
Part A: Examine the tools used to measure volume
Work with your partner. Take each of the graduated cylinders out of the tray. Examine them carefully.
Discuss the answers to the following questions with your partner:
a. What units are measured using a graduated cylinder?
b. Now use both the small and large graduated cylinder to answer the questions:
What is the maximum
What is the minimum
What volume does each
volume it can measure?
volume it can measure?
notch on the graduated
cylinder measure?
10-mL
100-mL
Part B: Compare the accuracy of a beaker and a graduated cylinder
1. Fill the beaker to the 50-mL mark with water.
2.
Pour the water into the graduated cylinder.
3. Measure the volume of the water.
4. Your eye must be at the same level as the
bottom of the meniscus.
5.
Record the volume of the water to the nearest
milliliters.
Data: (Write down the units)
Volume in beaker
Volume in cylinder
Difference (subtract)
difference/original amount
% error
Part C: Decide which graduated cylinder would be best
1. Fill the 100-mL graduated cylinder with 10 mL water
2. Pour the water into the 10-mL graduated cylinder
3. Measure the volume of water. Your eye must be at the same level as the bottom of the meniscus.
4. Record the volume of the water to the nearest millimeters.
Data: (Write down the units)
Volume in 100 mL
Volume in 10-mL
Difference (subtract)
difference/original amount
% error
1. What is a general rule about measuring volume?
2. How do you decide what size graduated cylinder or beaker to use?
Part D: Use water displacement to measure the volume of a solid.
1. Fill the graduated cylinder to the 50-mL mark and record the volume of the water.
2. Slightly tip the graduated cylinder and slowly slide the rock into the cylinder.
SEE THE PICTURE AND DO IT CAREFULLY. ($10.00 each)
3. Once the rock is in the cylinder, note the new level of the water and record it.
4. Subtract the original volume of the water. This is the volume of the rock alone.
Data:
Volume of water
Volume of water and rock
Volume of rock alone
Reflection questions: Answer in complete well thought-out sentences.
1. Which is more accurate for measuring liquid: a beaker or a graduated cylinder? Examine both and
suggest why this is true.
2. In part D what happened to the level of the water when the rock was placed in the graduated
cylinder? Why did this happen?
3. This method of finding the volume of the rock is called the displacement method. Why is this an
accurate name for this method? (What was displaced?)
4. Compare the volume of a cube to the volume of the water in milliliters; each cube is 1 cm3 or 1
centimeter on each side. What volume of water does each cube displace? TRY IT!
Conclusion (skill-building)