Title: Volume Lab
Description: Introductory activity to teach measurement of volume. The volume of everyday items is found as well as the volume by percent of air in sand.
Materials: small rocks, marbles, wooden block(about the same size as the baby food jar is good), baby food jar, 2 graduates of different sizes, ruler, sand, overflow jar
Prior Knowledge: The introduction to the lab should give students sufficient knowledge to complete this activity.
Time Needed: one 50 minute period.
Procedures:
1. Put clean dry sand in a tray and have an empty tray next to it for students to empty their graduates into. The wet sand will take a few days to dry after the lab is over.
2. You may wish to talk about sand and how the irregular grains have air space between them. Have students predict the amount by percent of air space.
3. Have each student group put their percent of sand that is air on the board. It is typically from 35% to 50%. Discuss the pros and cons of each different type of volume measurement and what substances they best measure.
4. Point out to students that a centimeter cubed is the same as a milliliter.
Scoring Guide
1. Students make measurements and record their data………………15 pts
2. Students correctly answer analysis questions……………………….. 7 pts
answers:
1. It will depend on the objects you provide.
2. It will depend on the objects you provide.
3. Overflow jars are more practical for objects that do not fit in a graduated cylinder.
4. 20-40 ml
5. Answers should be between 35-50%
6. They measure the same volume
7. a. graduated cylinder, b. length x width x height c. water displacement in overflow cup
3. Students clean-up work area………………………………………….3 pts
Student SheetName______
Period______
title: Volume Lab
introduction: Volume is defined as the amount of space an object takes up. It can be measured several different ways. If the substance is a liquid, it is easy to pour the substance into a measuring device like a graduated cylinder and read the volume directly. Or pour a liquid from a container into a graduated cylinder and see how much it holds. For solids you must use other methods. If the solid is rectangular, you can measure the length, height and width and multiply them. If the solid is irregularly shaped, you can put it in a graduated cylinder and see how high the water rises. If it is too large for a graduate, you can use an overflow cup. First you drop the object into a full overflow cup and collect the overflowing water. Then you measure how much water overflowed in a graduated cylinder. This is the amount of volume of the object.
purpose: To practice finding the volume of different types of items and to see how much air is in sand.
Materials: rock, marble, wood block, baby food jar, 2 graduates, ruler, sand, overflow jar
Procedure:
1. Use length x width x height measurements on the wood block.
2. Use the graduated cylinder and water displacement for the marble.
3. Use the overflow cup, the graduate and water displacement for the rock.
4. Use direct measurement to see the volume of the baby food jar. Use graduate.
5. For sand: Place 40 ml of dry sand in the 100 ml graduate. Add 40 ml of water and let it soak in. Record the final volume.
Prediction: (How much air do you think is in sand?)
Data:
1. wood block : length....……….width.....……..height...……...volume...... ……..
2. marble: beginning volume…...... end volume………..marble volume......
3. rock: volume in graduate……......
4. volume of baby food jar=......
5. volume of sand + water=...... …
Analysis:
1. Which had more volume-the marble or the rock?
2. Which had more volume, the wood block or the baby food jar?
3. When would the overflow jar be more practical for water displacement?
4. How much air did the sand have? Subtract the volume of sand and water from 80.
5. What percentage of sand is air? divide air space(from #4) by amount of sand (40 ml) and multiply by 100%
6. What is the relationship between ml and cubic centimeters?
7. How would you find the volume of:
a. a glass of milk
b. a book
c. a pencil
Conclusion: (2 things you learned.)