Download Using a Graduated Cylinder

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Using a Graduated Cylinder to Measure Liquid Volume
A graduated cylinder can be used to measure the volume of an
object. Volume is the amount of space an object occupies.
Graduated cylinders come in different sizes and shapes. Various
ones are picture at the right.
100mL
1000mL
Look at each cylinder pictured. Notice that there are lines and
numbers on the side. These lines are called graduations. Each
graduation marks the milliliters. A milliliter is one thousandth of
the volume of a liter. The word milliliter is abbreviated mL.
1. If each graduated cylinder pictured were filled to the top
graduation, what would the volume be? Write the answer next to 250mL
each letter.
2. When most liquids are placed in tall, narrow, glass containers,
they creep up the walls of the container. This results in the surface
of the liquid appearing to be curved. The bottom of this curve is
known as the MENISCUS, and best represents the actual volume of liquid in the cylinder.
3. Record the volume of liquid in each graduated cylinder the in the blanks below each
cylinder. Write the number under each cylinder.
6mL
37 mL
32 mL
19mL
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Metric Measurement
Solid Volume by Water Displacement
INTRODUCTION: The volume of a cube can be calculated by multiplying its length times its
width times its height. (Volume = L x W x H) Examples of units to use when measuring
volume are cubic centimeters (cc or cm3,) cubic millimeters (mm3,) cubic meters (m3.) How
could you figure out the volume of a rock that has broken and chipped edges? How could you
figure out the volume of a bag of marbles without doing a lot of math?
One way to determine the volume of an object is the water displacement method. You would
need a graduated cylinder, water, and an object to be measured.
Select a small solid object that will fit into your graduated cylinder, and fill the cylinder with
enough water to cover the object but do not place the object in the cylinder.
1. Observe Figure A and record the water level in the graduated
cylinder 20 mL
Then, you would gently place the object into the cylinder until the
object is completely covered with water.
A
.
B
.
2. Observe Figure B and record the water level 40mL
To determine how much space the object occupied in the cylinder,
subtract the smaller number from the larger number.
3. What is the difference in the water level? 20mL
4. Therefore, the volume of the object is 20cm3 because 1mL=1 cm3 (It’s a solid object!)
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Metric Measurement – Calculating Volume by Formula
To find the volume of regular shaped objects, you would multiply:
length x width x height.
Because you are measuring three dimensions of an object, examples of the possible units are
cubic centimeters (cm3), cubic millimeters (mm3) or cubic meters (m3).
Practice calculating the volume on the following figures.
5 m
8 cm
10 cm
4 m
2 cm
3 cm
1 cm
3 m
2 cm
1. 60m3
2. 20cm3
3. 48cm3
Now, measure each cube to the nearest 0.1 of a centimeter and calculate its volume.
2.3cm
1.3cm
1.6cm
1.8cm
4. 1.4cm3
0.6cm
3.8cm
5. 4.3cm3
.7cm
2cm
6. 4.6cm3
1cm