MEASURING VOLUME

WITH A GRADUATED CYLINDER

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WHAT IS VOLUME?

The amount of 3 dimensional space occupied by an object.

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MEASURING VOLUMEIN THIS LESSON, WE WILL BE MEASURING THE VOLUME OF A LIQUID USING A GRADUATED CYLINDER.

TO READ THE VOLUME OF A LIQUID YOU MUST READ THE MEASUREMENT BASED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE MENISCUS.

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WHAT CAUSES THE MENISCUS?A MENISCUS CAN OCCUR WITH A LIQUID IN ANY CONTAINER. YOU’LL NOTICE THE MENISCUS ON THE CURVED SURFACE OF A COLUMN OF LIQUID. IT IS A CONCAVE MENISCUS IF THE MOLECULES OF THE LIQUID ARE ATTRACTED TO THE CONTAINER WALLS AND CONVEX IF THEY ARE NOT.

CONCAVE MENISCUS

YOU MUST READ THE GRADUATED CYLINDER AT EYE-LEVEL TO RECORD THE MOST ACCURATE MEASUREMENT.

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METRIC UNITS & MEASURING VOLUME

1 liter (L) = 1000 milliliters (mL)

THE GRADUATED CYLINDERS WE WILL USE TODAY WILL MEASURE IN MILLILITERS (ML), WHICH ARE METRIC UNITS.

HOW MANY MILLILITERS OF LIQUID ARE IN THIS CYLINDER?

_______

20 mL

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MEASURING VOLUMETO MEASURE A LIQUID, YOU FIRST CAREFULLY POUR IT INTO THE GRADUATED CYLINDER. TIPPING THE CYLINDER GENTLY TO ONE SIDE WILL HELP THE LIQUID NOT SPLASH OUT AND PREVENT BUBBLES FROM FORMING. THEN, AT EYE-LEVEL, READ THE LIQUID VOLUME AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MENISCUS.

ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT YOUR GRADUATED CYLINDER IS SITTING ON A LEVEL SURFACE TO ENSURE AN ACCURATE MEASUREMENT.

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LET’S PRACTICE!LOOK AT THE GRADUATED CYLINDER BELOW, WHAT IS THE VOLUME OF THE LIQUID INSIDE?

_________43 mL

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MEASURING VOLUMENOW WE WILL PRACTICE MEASURING VARIOUS VOLUMES OF LIQUIDS. DRAW THE FOLLOWING CHART IN YOUR SCIENCE JOURNAL. MEASURE THE VOLUME OF THE LIQUID IN EACH JAR USING YOUR GRADUATED CYLINDER. BE SURE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE MENISCUS!

  Jar #1 Jar #2 Jar #3 Jar #4

Volume Measurement ____ mL ____ mL         ____ mL ____ mL

 

NOW ORGANIZE THE JARS FROM THE LEAST AMOUNT OF VOLUME TO THE MOST BY LISTING

THEM IN ORDER IN YOUR SCIENCE JOURNAL.

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LET’S REVIEW…1. WHAT IS VOLUME?THE AMOUNT OF 3 DIMENSIONAL SPACE OCCUPIED BY AN OBJECT.2. WHAT METRIC UNIT DID WE MEASURE WITH?MILLILITERS. 3. HOW DO YOU READ A GRADUATED CYLINDER?AT EYE-LEVEL AND READ THE BOTTOM OF THE MENISCUS. 4. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WITH THE GRADUATED CYLINDER BEFORE MEASURING THE VOLUME OF A LIQUID?MAKE SURE IT’S SITTING ON A LEVEL SURFACE.