Name(s): ____________________________________________

Investigation: Tools and Measurements

Introduction: This investigation requires you to use various scientific tools to measure volume, mass, and
dimensions of objects. The goal is to become familiar with these tools and metric units.

Materials: Pipette, graduated cylinder, ruler, meter stick, beaker, water, balance (scale), marbles, empty
plastic food container, calculator, small (3 oz) plastic cups

Part A – How Many Drops Are in 1 ml of Water?

Volume is the amount of space that an object occupies or that can be enclosed in a
container. Liquids have volume that is measured using a beaker, a graduated cylinder, or a
pipette.

1. A beaker is a large glass container, usually having a pour spout. The beaker will have
lines on the outside with a measurement and a number that tells you the total amount
that can be held within.
How much liquid can your beaker measure? _______

2. Fill a plastic cup with water and then empty it into the beaker. What volume does the cup hold? ____________

3. A graduated cylinder measures volume but it is a little bit more accurate than a beaker.
Examine your graduated cylinder and note the numbered marks.
How much liquid can your graduated cylinder hold? __________

4. Fill the plastic cup again and then carefully pour it into the graduated cylinder. Examine the liquid at
eye level to see where it is at the mark. There may be a noticeable curve in the liquid (called the
meniscus). You should take your measurement at the bottom of this curve.

What volume does the cup hold? ____________

*you may need to be creative and fill the cylinder twice*

6. Pipettes are also used to measure volume, though usually only a small amount of volume can be
used. Examine the plastic pipette at your station. How much liquid can it measure? ________

Problem: How can you measure the number of drops in a single milliliter of water?
7. Discuss with your partner how you can use the tools provided to answer the question. Provide specific detailed
instructions for how to answer this question.

Answer: How many drops of water are in a single milliliter? _________________

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Part B – What is the Volume of a Container?
1. Solid objects have a volume. Recall that volume refers to how much space an object takes up.

For symmetrical objects, volume is simply LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT

Use a metric ruler to measure the box below and determine its volume (measure in cm)

The volume of the box is: ________________

2. You can also determine the volume of a box-shaped container (like plastic food storage containers) using the same
method. Obtain a storage container and measure the length, width and depth.

Length = ____________ Width = ___________ Depth = __________

← unit of measurement
Calculate the volume of the container L x W x H (depth) = ______________ cm3

3. Fill your container with water, then carefully pour the water out into a graduated cylinder or beaker. What volume of
liquid does the container hold? _____________________ ml ← unit of measurement

4. Is the volume from measuring similar to the volume from filling it with liquid? Explain any differences.

5. For oddly shaped objects, a water displacement technique can determine the volume.

Find the volume of 3 marbles by filling a graduated cylinder to 20 ml. Drop the marbles in and see how much the water
rises – this is the volume of the marbles. Complete the table below.

A) Volume of Water before adding B) Volume of Water after adding 3 Calculate (B minus A)
marbles marbles Volume of all 3 marbles
20 ml (starting volume)

Now determine the volume of a single marble by dividing your total (above) by 3. ___________

Drop a single marble into the graduated cylinder. What is its volume? ____________

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Part C – Measure Length in Metric Units
1. The three units of length you will be most familiar with are: millimeters, centimeters, and meters.

Use a meter stick to determine: How many mm in a cm? 10m How many cm in a m? 100cm

2. Use a meter stick or ruler to fill out the table below. (Grayed boxes need not be completed)

In millimeters In centimeters In Meters

Height of lab table
Length of lab table
Width of door
Your height
Height of graduated
cylinder
Length of pipette
Length of your shoe

3. Which measurement is the largest? Circle your answer for each pair

a) 14 mm or 1 cm b) 145 m or 1500 cm c) 334 cm or 334 mm d) 3.4 cm or 30 mm e) 1 m or 990 cm

4. Circle the BEST metric unit for each.

a) The length of an eyelash [ mm cm m ] b) The height of a flagpole [ mm cm m ]

c) The length of your arm [ mm cm m ] d) The length of the hallway [ mm cm m ]

Part C: Mass of Objects

1. Determine the mass (in grams) of the 3 marbles: ____9_____

Determine the mass of 1 marble: _3____

2. Determine the mass of 20 ml of water. To do this you will need to

weigh an empty graduated cylinder, then add the water and find the
difference.

Mass of Graduated cylinder ___68___

Graduated Cylinder + 20 ml of water ____ 87__
Mass of 20 ml of water __87___

3. Use the same technique to determine the mass of 50 ml of water: _____113______

4. Do you think 20 ml of soda has a greater mass than 20 ml of water? Design an experiment to test this. Explain how you will
determine which one (soda or water) has the most mass.

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 Name(s):________________________________________________

Analysis:
1. What three tools are used to measure the volume of a liquid? Which is the most accurate way to measure a cup of water?

2. Explain why a graduated cylinder is more accurate than a beaker.

3. Explain how you could measure the volume of a toy dinosaur. Use scientific terms for the tools you would use.

4. In science, metric units are used. Which unit is used for:

Volume? _____________ Mass? ____________ Length? ________________

5. A tub holds 5000 liters of water. The tub is filled with 4000 liters of water. An object with a volume of 1100 liters, a
mass of 60 kilograms, and a height of 120 cm is dropped into the tub. Will the water
overflow? Explain your answer.

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