Student Exploration: Measuring Volume
Vocabulary: cubic centimeter, diameter, graduated cylinder, meniscus, milliliter, pipette, radius,
rectangular prism, sphere, volume, water displacement
Prior Knowledge Question (
...
Student Exploration: Measuring Volume
Vocabulary: cubic centimeter, diameter, graduated cylinder, meniscus, milliliter, pipette, radius,
rectangular prism, sphere, volume, water displacement
Prior Knowledge Question (Do this BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
Albert plays football. His sister Juliana plays volleyball. While
walking home from practice one day, Albert and Juliana argue about
which is bigger, a football or volleyball.
How would you measure and compare the sizes of the two balls? ________________________
Gizmo Warm-up
When scientists talk about how big something is, they are really
talking about its volume, or the amount of space it takes up. The
Measuring Volume Gizmo™ allows you to measure the volumes of
liquids and solids using a variety of tools.
To begin, remove the 50-mL graduated cylinder from the cabinet
and place it below the faucet. To turn on the faucet, click on the
faucet handle. Fill the cylinder about halfway, as shown.
1. Place the magnifier over the waterline. Draw a sketch of what
you see in the area at right. Label the large tick marks on your
sketch.
What volume is represented by each small tick mark?
2. What is the shape of the waterline? ____________________________________________
This curved shape is called the meniscus. Always read the volume at the bottom of the
meniscus.
3. What is the volume of water in the graduated cylinder? __________
Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A: Drag all objects to the cabinet.
Volume of liquids Move the 25-mL graduated cylinder, the 250-mL
beaker, and the 2-mL pipette to the counter.
Introduction: Graduated cylinders are precise tools for measuring volume. Most graduated
cylinders are marked in milliliters. There are 1,000 milliliters in 1 liter (about two cups).
Goal: Fill a graduated cylinder with a given amount of water.
1. Prepare: Place the 250-mL beaker below the faucet and fill it with water. (Move the faucet
handle up to pour faster.) You will use the beaker as a source of water in your experiments.
2. Measure: To pour water from the beaker to the graduated
cylinder, move the beaker over the graduated cylinder. Add
about 15 mL of water to the graduated cylinder (does not have
to be exact).
Place the magnifier over the waterline, and sketch what you
see in the space at right. Label the large tick marks on your
sketch.
A. How many medium tick marks lie between two labeled tick marks? ______________
B. How much volume does each medium tick mark represent? ______________
C. How much volume does each small tick mark represent? ______________
D. Estimate the water volume in the graduated cylinder to the nearest 0.1 mL.
(Remember to read from the bottom of the curved meniscus.) ______________
3. Measure: Scientists use pipettes, also known as eyed
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