NAME ______PER ______
Activity: MAKING MEANINGFUL MEASUREMENTS
Metric System: The metric system is used by almost every country in the world, other than the U.S. It is also the preferred system of measurement for science.
In the United States, we use the English System. Can you name some units that we use?
1)Volume (liquid) ______
2)Mass ______
3)Length ______
4)Temperature ______
In the metric system, we will be using terms: Grams, Liters, Meters, Seconds, and Celsius. Which one is used for?
5)Volume (liquid) ______
6)Mass ______
7)Length ______
8)Temperature ______
9)Time ______
The metric system is much easier… it is based on units of 10! It’s easy to convert if you use the table below
Use the table above to help you make the following conversions:
10)How many meters (m) are in 1 km?______
11)How many mm are in 1 cm? ______
12)How many mg are in 1 g? ______
13)8 cm = ______mm
MEASUREMENT LAB
Length - Measure the following in centimeters:
14)Your hand span is ______cm. (outstretched hand between tip of thumb and tip of little finger)
15)The width of your index fingernail is ______cm. This is equal to ______mm.
16)Your foot is ______cm in length. This is equal to ______mm.
Using the measurements you have from above, Estimate FIRST, and then check for accuracy:
17)Width of this piece of paper ______cmActual length ______cm
18)Length of pencil ______cmActual length ______cm
19)Circumference of your wrist ______cmActual length ______cm
Write down the best units to measure the items below. You may choose from mm, cm, m, or km:
20)length of classroom _____
21)distance to San Diego ____
22) thickness of a penny _____
23) your height _____
24)distance around a tennis ball ____
Measuring Volume
25)What is the piece of equipment shown to the left called? ______
26)What is the volume of liquid in this beaker? ______
Working with graduated cylinders: the surface of the liquid is curved. This is called the meniscus. When we read the volume, we read it at the BOTTOM of the meniscus.
27)What is the volume of the liquid in the graduated cylinder marked A? _____mL
28)What is the volume of the liquid in the graduated cylinder marked B? _____mL
Measuring MASS
29)Define mass:
30)What is the basic unit for mass? ______
Measure the mass of something that belongs to you or your lab partner.
31)What did you measure? ______
32)What was the mass? ______g
33)Circle the best unit for measuring each mass:
a)Amount of salt in a batch of cookies: m g kg
b)Your mass: mgg kg
c)Mass of 10 pennies: mg g kg
MEaSURING TIME:
34)What is the basic unit for measuring time? ______
35)How many seconds are in:
- 1 minute? ______
- 1 Hour? ______
- 2 days? ______