Republic of the Philippine

Laguna State Polytechnic University

Sta. Cruz Main Campus - Sta. Cruz, Laguna

College of Engineering

ME LAB 1
Laboratory Manual

By:

Engr. Maricel M. Matuto, RME

Instructor
Name : __________________ Course : _______________
Date Performed: __________ Date Submitted: _________
Instructor: _______________ Experiment no.: _________

Improvised Thermometer

I. Objective
1. To Study and understand the principles behind the creation of
thermometer.
2. To know how thermometer works.

II. Materials
Container
Rubbing alcohol
Measuring cup
Food color
Tap water
Straw modeling clay

III. Instructions
1. Remove the labels from a jar or plastic bottle. This container will hold your
liquid mixture.
2. Remove the cap or lid from the container, and make a hole small enough
to allow a straw to pass through the opening.
3. Mix equal parts of water and rubbing alcohol, and pour into the container
you've chosen. Fill the bottle or jar only 1/4 of the way full.
4. Add a few drops of food coloring to your water/alcohol mixture. This will
allow you to see the temperature changes clearly.
5. Insert a straw through the hole in the lid or cap, but do not let the straw
touch the bottom of your container.
6. Apply modeling clay to the container's lid or cap as well as the straw for
an air-tight seal.
7. Test your thermometer by changing the environment of the bottle. Put the
container in a bowl of warm water to watch the level of the mixture in
your container rise. Transfer the thermometer to a bowl of cool water to
see the mixture level fall.

IV. Observation/Conclusion:

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Name : __________________ Course : _______________
Date Performed: __________ Date Submitted: _________
Instructor: _______________ Experiment no.: _________

Thermometer

I. Objective
1. To Study and understand the principles behind the creation of thermometer.
2. To know how thermometer works.

II. Materials
Large vase
Identical water proof containers
Tap water
Small scale
Permanent marker
Measuring cup sand

III. Instructions

1. Pour water into a measuring cup until it is partially full. Mark the water level
and make a note of the volume indicated on the measuring cup markings. Fill
a small waterproof container, such as a 35 mm film container, with a random
amount of sand. Set the sealed container into the measuring cup and note
the updated volume. Subtract the first measurement from the new number to
determine the volume of the sand-filled container. Write this number down.
2. Look up the density values of several different temperatures ranging between
approximately five and 40 degrees Celsius. Use the chart listed in the
references. Using the chart and the container volume determined the the first
step, calculate the mass needed in a container for it to match the density of a
target temperature. The equation for this calculation is: Mass = Density x
Volume. If the volume of the container found in the first step is 32 cubic
centimeters and the target temperature is 30 degrees Celsius, for example,
the equation becomes Mass = 0.995646 x 32, with an answer of 31.860672
grams.
3. Use a small scale to measure the container and compare its actual mass to
the target mass for a particular temperature. Add or subtract sand from the
container until the actual mass matches the target mass. Repeat this
procedure for several different temperatures and canisters. Use a marker to
label each container with its corresponding temperature.
4. Pour water into a large clear vase until it is completely full. Place all of the
marked containers into the water, beginning with the lowest temperature
container. Set the vase in a room with a stable temperature and observe it.
Over time, some containers will float while others sink. The temperature will
be approximately indicated by the lowest container still floating.

IV. Observation/Conclusion:
Name : __________________ Course : _______________
Date Performed: __________ Date Submitted: _________
Instructor: _______________ Experiment no.: _________

Homemade Oil Viscosity Tester

I. Objective
1. To Study and understand the principles of viscosity measurement.
2. To create a homemade viscometer.
3. To know how to measure viscosity.

II. Materials

Empty plastic bottle 1.25 or 1.5 liters with plastic or metal screw-on top
1 piece 1-inch long metal tube with outside diameter of 1/5 inch--old brake-
fluid lines
Flat piece of wood about 18 inches long, 2 3/4 inches wide and 1/3 inch thick
Sandpaper or metal file
Drill and small bit set
Thin permanent marker pen
Plastic or glass wide-mouthed jar
Rubber cement and/or a very small O-ring
Bricks or heavy weight
Stop watch
Pencil and pad of paper
Coffee-filters or cheesecloth

III. Instructions
IV.
1. Cut the bottom off the empty plastic bottle. Use sandpaper or a small file to
smooth and round out the ends of a one-inch metal tube. You don't want any
burrs or jagged edges on the metal tube. Use old brake-fluid lines if they are
available to you. They are the perfect size.
2. Drill a small hole in the top of the cap and squeeze the metal tube tightly
through the hole.
3. Push the metal tube half-way through the hole in the screw-on top.
4. Drill a hole about the same size as the screw-on bottle top into one end of
the flat wood. The screw-on-top of the plastic bottle must fit into the hole in
the wood tightly with the bottle top on the bottle.
5. Screw the top tightly onto the plastic bottle. Use the permanent marker to
clearly mark a line on the plastic bottle about 2 inches below the bottom of
the cap. This line will be the "finish line."
6. Turn the bottle bottom-side up. Plug the metal tube with your finger while
pouring 3/4 quart of water into the bottle. Put a bold line at the level of the
water with the permanent marker. This will be known as the "starting" line.
Before you empty the water from the bottle, note any leaks. If there is a leak,
 you can fill in the leaking holes from the tubing and cap with rubber cement
or glue a very small O-ring around the end of the tube.
7. Push the bottle top into the hole in the board so that the bottle stands
perpendicular to the board. Put the board on a tabletop with the bottle end of
the board extending over the edge of the tabletop. Put a heavy weight on the
other end of the board. This can be bricks or a heavy rock. You can now
begin measuring viscosities of oil.

How to Use the Viscosity Tester

8. Remove any contaminants from the oil samples you are testing with coffee
filters or cheesecloth. Your oil samples must be clean to get accurate results
from the tester.
9. Test all oil samples at the same temperature. Colder temperatures will slow
down the "run" time of the oil samples. Room temperatures will give the most
consistent results.
10.Fill the plastic bottle of the tester with the oil sample until the oil level is
above the "start line" marked on the bottle.
11.Put an open-mouthed jar or container on the floor or on a stool under the
viscosimeter to catch the oil as it runs through the metal tube out of the
tester.
12.To start the device, hold your finger on the opening of the metal tube while
you pour the oil into the plastic bottle and then release your finger to start
the flow. Start your stop watch at the moment you release your finger and be
ready to stop it the moment the oil reaches the "finish" line marked on the
bottle.

V. Observation/Conclusion:
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_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Name : __________________ Course : _______________
Date Performed: __________ Date Submitted: _________
Instructor: _______________ Experiment no.: _________

How to Measure the viscosity of Motor Oil

I. Objective
1. To study and understand the principles of viscosity measurement.
2. To create a homemade viscometer.
3. To know how to measure viscosity.

II. Materials

 Two identical glass marbles

 Motor oil
 Calculator
 Two clean identical graduated measuring cups
 Tongs
 Gram scale
 Paper
 Stopwatch

III. Instructions

1. Weigh a clean empty measuring cup (a cylinder) on the gram scale. Note the
weight on the paper.
2. Put about half a bottle of regular motor oil into the cylinder. Weigh the oil-
filled measuring cup. Subtract the figure in Step 1 from this figure. This is the
weight of the oil.
3. Note the height of the oil in the cup. This height should be expressed in
centimeters. Note this height on the paper. (The reading on the cup also
indicates the volume of the oil in milliliters).
4. Ask someone to stand ready with the stopwatch.
5. Pick up one of the clean glass marbles and position it very carefully over the
liquid so that it barely touches the surface of the oil.
6. Simultaneously release the marble and start the stopwatch. Stop the timer
the instant the marble touches the bottom of the cup. This is the velocity.
The velocity is the distance that the marble ball sank (in centimeters) divided
by the time it took to reach the bottom of the cup (in seconds). Note this
time on the paper. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 a few times and average the
answers.
7. Measure the density of the marble. This is the weight per unit volume,
measured in grams per centimeters cubed (g/cm^3). To do this, put the
marble on the gram scale and note the reading.
8. Measure the marble's volume by pouring some water (fill it roughly to its
halfway point) into the other cup. Set down the cup and let the water settle.
Note the water level. It is measured in ml, which is equivalent to cm^3.
 9. Place the other glass marble into the water-filled measuring cup and let it
sink to the bottom. Note the height of the displaced water by writing the
number down.
10.Subtract the figure in Step 7 from the figure in Step 8. This difference equals
the volume of the marble (in c/^3).
11.Measure the density of the oil. You already have the weight and volume of
the oil. The density equals the weight divided by the volume.
12.Measure the radius of the marble. Put the marble on a flat, horizontal table.
Using a ruler, measure the diameter of the marble. The radius is half the
diameter.
13.Insert these numbers into the formula n=2("ρ)ga 2/9v to find the viscosity of
the oil. The answer is expressed in terms of units of poise (g/cm times s).

Here is a list of important variables:

"ρ = density of the sphere'density of the oil (in g/cm3)

g = acceleration due to gravity (980 cm/s^2)
a = radius of the sphere (in cm)
v = average velocity of the falling marble (in cm/s)

Tips & Warnings

 Cat litter makes a great absorbent for any spilled motor oil. Just sprinkle some
on the oil and let it soak for a half hour.

 Some states regulate motor oil as hazardous waste. Wear disposable vinyl or
latex gloves to minimize your exposure to toxic elements.

 Use the tongs to remove the marble, allowing excess oil to drip off the sphere.
Use a paper towel to remove any remaining oil. Make sure the height of the oil in
the cup has not changed.

IV. Evaluation:

V. Observation/Conclusion:

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Name : __________________ Course : _______________
Date Performed: __________ Date Submitted: _________
Instructor: _______________ Experiment no.: _________

Calibrate a Bourdon Tube Pressure Gauge

I. Objective
1. To study and understand the principles behind the bourdon tube pressure
gauge.
2. To know how to use the bourdon tube pressure gauge.
3. To know how to Calibrate
the bourdon tube pressure
gauge.

II. Materials
 Bourdon Tube Pressure
Gauge
 Screw Driver
 Pliers

III. Instructions
1. Remove the screws for
the pressure gauge's
threaded casing. Place the pliers on the edge to pry off the casing, ring and
gauge window. Also remove the screws from the rear casing if the pressure
gauge has a solid front case.
2. Pressurize the system once so the gauge pointer shifts from zero to the
highest pressure measurement, then back to zero. Place the tip of the pliers
against the pointer and set it to the position of zero if it is not at that
position.
3. Put the system through full pressure again. Visually inspect the reading to
see how far off the pointer is from a full pressure reading. Replace the
pressure gauge if the reading is more than 10 percent off, since this indicates
the bourdon tube has corrosion.
4. Loosen the link screw to adjust the link if the pressure gauge reading is
off by .25 percent or more, yet not over 10 percent. Move the link screw
closer to the rotary movement to increase the pressure reading span. Move
the link screw farther away from the rotary movement to decrease the
pressure reading span.
5. Calibrate midscale pressure indication by applying system pressure only to
the halfway point. Adjust the link by closing the pliers on the left and right
side to gently squeeze the link. This increases the pressure pointer indicator.
Close the pliers on the top and bottom of the link to decrease the pressure
pointer indicator.
 IV. Observation/Conclusion:

Name : __________________ Course : _______________

Date Performed: __________ Date Submitted: _________
Instructor: _______________ Experiment no.: _________

Hair Hygrometer

I. Objective
1. To study and understand the principles behind the bourdon tube pressure
gauge.
2. To know how to use the bourdon tube pressure gauge.

II. Materials
 9-by-4-inch block of wood
 3-by-3-inch piece of plastic thin enough to cut with scissors
 3 human hairs at least 8 inches long
 Dime, 2 nails, Tape, Glue, Scissors

III. Instructions

1. Prepare the triangle. Using scissors, cut the 3-by-3-inch piece of plastic into a
thin, long isosceles triangle. The triangle's thin tip will serve as the pointer of
your measurement device.

2. Affix the dime, one nail and the hairs to the triangle. Tape the dime to the
top point of the triangle, and poke one of the nails through the bottom of the
triangle. Jiggle the triangle so it can move around the nail. Glue one end of
the three human hairs to the middle of the triangle.

3. Attach the triangle to the wood using the nail. The triangle should be about a
quarter of the way up from the bottom of the wood, whose longer side will
run perpendicular to the ground. The triangle's long side will be perpendicular
to the wood block's long side. Make sure the triangle can still move freely.

4. Hammer the second nail into the wood about an inch from the top, directly
above where the hairs are attached to the triangle. Glue the top ends of the
hair to this nail, making sure the hairs are taut and trimming off any excess
hair after you are done gluing. The length of the hair and the length of the
wood should be parallel; the triangle will be perpendicular to these.

5. Once the glue dries, your human hair hygrometer can be used to measure
humidity.

IV. Table of results

Time 9am 10am 11am 12nn 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm
Length

V. Observation/Conclusion:
_______________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
 _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Name : __________________ Course : _______________
Date Performed: __________ Date Submitted: _________
Instructor: _______________ Experiment no.: _________

How to Make a Simple Psychrometer

I. Objective

1. To study and understand the principles of Psychrometer.

2. To know how to measure Humidity by a simple Psychrometer

II. Materials

Two thermometers
Gauze Cotton
Glass of water
Thread, Clothes hanger
Temperature chart

III. Instruction:

1. Leave a small glass of water sitting out at room temperature. It should sit
long enough to be the same temperature as the rest of the room.

2. Wrap the bulb of a thermometer in a small bit of gauze or cotton. Use a

small bit of thread to tie it on. Leave the other thermometer untouched.

3. Record the temperatures of both thermometers. They should both record

the same temperature.

4. Dip the thermometer with the cotton gauze in the water. Then, put both
thermometers somewhere where air can flow by them. You could hang
them from a clothes hanger, for example.

5. Create an air current that blows by the thermometers. You could fan them
with a piece of cardboard, or else use a small electric fan to blow on
them.

6. After about six minutes, record the temperatures of both thermometers in

Celsius. Compare their temperatures to the temperature chart linked to
below. Use the chart to calculate the relative humidity.
IV. Observation/Conclusion:

______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Name : __________________ Course : _______________
Date Performed: __________ Date Submitted: _________
Instructor: _______________ Experiment no.: _________

Measurement of humidity without hygrometer

I. Objective
1. To study and understand the principles of hygrometer.
2. To know how to measure Humidity without hygrometer.

II. Materials:
2 Pcs Thermometer
Cotton balls
String
2 pcs Plastic cup

III. Instruction:
1. Shake both thermometers to make sure the mercury is as far down toward
the bulbs as possible. Soak a cotton ball in room-temperature water and tape
it around the bulb of a regular mercury thermometer. Set this thermometer
and a second mercury thermometer with no cotton ball in the same place in a
room or outdoors.

2. Wait several hours, if not overnight. Check the temperatures of both

thermometers and write the temperatures down.

3. Subtract the wet-bulb temperature from the dry-bulb temperature to get the
humidity percentage. For instance, if your dry bulb reads 75 degrees and
your wet bulb reads 40, humidity is at approximately 35 percent. The dry
bulb thermometer records how hot or cold it actually is in the room. As water
evaporates from the wet bulb, the cotton ball's temperature drops. The more
water evaporated from the wet bulb, the cooler it will read. The dryer the air,
the more water will evaporate from the cotton.

4. Try the experiment again in different rooms with humid and dry air.

IV. Table
Room Wet Bulb Dry Bulb Difference

V. Observation/Conclusion:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Name : __________________ Course : _______________
Date Performed: __________ Date Submitted: _________
Instructor: _______________ Experiment no.: _________

Pressure Measuring Devices

I. Objective
1. To familiarize and differentiate the operations, principles and uses of the
different pressure measuring devices

II. Materials:
1. Bourdon pressure gauge
2. Mercurial Barometer
3. U-tube Manometer
4. Inclined Manometer

III. Instruction:
1. Make a physical study of the Bourdon pressure gauge. Determine the essential parts and
their principle of operation.
2. Examine closely a Mercurial barometer. Identify the essential parts. Determine the
atmospheric pressure using the Mercurial barometer. The data should be compared
according to standard reading base on the location and elevation.
3. Examine closely the U-tube and the Inclined manometer. Differentiate each other
according to physical appearance and usage.
4. Sketch all the apparatus and label their parts. Also, tabulate any required observation and
findings.
IV. Table
Room Wet Bulb Dry Bulb Difference

V. Observation/Conclusion:
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