ACTIVITY 1 - MEASUREMENTS

Measurements are done in scientific work as well as in the daily affairs of all peoples.

Determination of the properties of matter is most commonly done through measurements. Direct
or indirect methods are used in doing so, and knowledge of the different kinds of measuring
instruments, their proper use, as well as their care, is of great importance.

Measuring is primarily a comparing process. It involves determining how many times the
quantity to be measured (the unknown quantity) as compared to a certain established quantity
(the standard reference), the magnitude of which is fixed by international agreement.

The results of measurements must have two parts: a number to answer the question “how many?”
and a unit to answer the question “of what?” ( Read Appendix C)

The International System of Units, SI, is the official system of measurement used in scientific
work. Its seven base units which are used as the international standards are defined on
Appendix D.

Larger and smaller units used for expressing measurements of the fundamental and derived
quantities are named with the use of standard prefixes for the SI base units. (Read
Appendix D, E, and F).
A measurement result must always be written/recorded using significant figures to show the
accuracy and the precision with which it has been done. (Read Appendix G and H)
Significant figures must be kept/maintained in the results of calculations. (Read Appendix I)

OBJECTIVES
At the end of the activity, the students should be able to:
1. state the function and use skillfully the different apparatus/equipment used for
measurements in the laboratory;
2. perform measurements of length, mass, volume, density and temperature and record the
results properly; and
3. make conversions of physical quantities from one system of measurement to another.

MATERIALS
Barometer Pencil or pen Test tube
Beaker Pipette, 2-mL Thermometer
Double beam balance Potassium permanganate solution
Erlenmeyer Flask, 250-mL Rubber aspirator Triple beam balance
Graduated cylinder 50 mL Ruler Vials
Hot plate Tap water Watch glass
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PROCEDURES:

A. MEASURING LENGTH
1. Get a ruler and observe carefully the marks/lines on its sides. Identify the side that
expresses divisions in the SI (metric) units and that which has divisions in English
units. Determine the accuracy and precision of the ruler in the SI side and record
them.

2. Measure in cm units with the same ruler the following:

a) length of a small test tube
b) diameter of a watch glass
c) height of a tripod.
3. Convert all measurements into meter, inch, and yard units.

B. MEASURING VOLUME

B1. Using a Graduated Cylinder

1. Observe the graduations (unit and marked lines) of a clean,

dry graduated cylinder and determine the value of each.
Record the accuracy and capacity of the graduated cylinder.

2. Practice using the graduated cylinder by filling it about half-

full with KMnO4 solution, then holding it up vertically with
the surface of the solution at eye level. Determine the
volume of the solution by reading the graduation/mark of
the cylinder closest to the meniscus of the solution.

3. Record the volume with the correct number of significant digits.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 using water instead of KMnO4

solution.
Record the results and present it to your instructor.

Note: Return the KMnO4 solution to the bottle from which it was taken.

5. Measure with the graduated cylinder the maximum amount of water that will fill to the
brim - (a) an Erlenmeyer flask (b) a big test tube
Record the volumes with the correct number of significant digits.

B.2 Using a PIPETTE

1. Fit the top of a 10-mL pipette with a rubber suction bulb (aspirator).
2. Hold both bulb and pipette and immerse the tip of the pipette in a beaker with water.
3. Squeeze the rubber bulb slightly to release some air from it, then gradually
loosen the hold on the squeezed rubber bulb so that water get sucked into the pipette to
a level above its calibration mark. Be careful so that the liquid does not enter the bulb.

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 .

4. Remove the rubber bulb and immediately replace it with the index finger, fast
enough to keep the water content above the level of the calibration mark.
5. Release the index finger carefully to allow the water to flow out of the pipette, the press
on the upper tip to stop the flow. Repeat until the water inside the pipette levels with the
0.00 calibration mark.
6. Place the tip of the pipette inside a 10-mL test tube and deliver the total volume of
water into the test tube by fully releasing the hold of the index finger over the top of
the pipette.
7. Repeat step 1 to step 5 to fill the pipette up to the 0.00 mark. Transfer 2 mL of the
contents to a test tube. Read and record the volume of water remaining in the pipette.
8. Repeat transferring 2 mL water at a time until the pipette is emptied of its contents.
Read and record the volume after each transfer.
9. Master the proper technique of filling up and delivering small amounts of liquid
using pipettes. Practice with a 1-mL pipette delivering out 0.1 mL at a time.

C. MEASURING TEMPERATURE

1. Carefully examine the calibrations of a laboratory thermometer. Notice the unit/s

in which the temperature readings can be expressed (in C and/or F).
Determine the accuracy and precision of the thermometer and record them.

2. Heat 150 mL distilled water in an erlenmeyer flask using a hot plate. When the water
starts to boil, get the temperature reading while the bulb of the
thermometer is completely immersed into the water without touching the bottom of the
container.
3. Record the reading as the boiling point of the water when the reading becomes constant.

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D. MEASURING MASS/WEIGHT

Note: Weight is the pulling force of gravity upon a mass. When an object is weighed, it
is really comparing its mass with a known mass. For most purposes, it is
not necessary to make a distinction between mass and weight.

Using a BALANCE

Pay attention as the instructor demonstrates and explains the proper use of the
balance.

1. Observe the scales of the double beam and triple beam balances. Determine the
accuracy and precision of these two balances.
2. Perform the following steps to make mass/weight measurements of :
a) a watch glass c) a beaker
b) a one-peso coin on a watch glass d) 50 mL water in a beaker
2.1. Set all the mass poises to zero.
2.2. Place the object to be weighed on the center of the platform/pan of the
balance.
2.3. Move the 100 g poise to the right until the index pointer swings below the
zero mark, then move it back one notch.
2.4. Repeat step 3 with the 10 g poise.
2.5. Slowly move the 1 g poise until the index pointer lines up with the zero mark.
2.6. Read the values at the positions of the poises and sum them up. Their
total is the mass/weight of the object/s on the platform/pan.
2.7 Record the weights in the given data sheet.

E. DETERMINING DENSITY
a. Density of water
1. Weigh an empty 250- mL beaker using a balance and record it with the proper
number of significant figures.
2. Measure exactly 30.0 mL of tap water with a graduated cylinder, transfer it to the
beaker, and weigh. Record the weight of the beaker and water.
3. Get the weight of the water and record the data.
4. Calculate the density of the water (mass divided by volume).

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 Phoebe Angeli A. Biron
Name_________________________________ Rating_____________________
BSPSY1CNS-13
Course/Yr/Sec__________________________ Dr. Rey Rañola
Teacher ___________________
Group No. _____________________________
4 September 8, 2022
Date______________________

ACTIVITY 1 - MEASUREMENTS

DATA AND OBSERVATIONS

A. MEASURING LENGTH

Using a RULER

Number of divisions between two number-marked lines _________

Accuracy __________ Precision _________

Measured Equivalents in Other Units

Value
Centimeter Meter Inch Yard
Length of a small test tube 10 0.1 3.94 0.11
Diameter of a watch glass 7.5 0.075 2.95 0.08
Height of a tripod 17 0.17 6.69 0.19

COMPUTATIONS:

B. MEASURING VOLUME

1. Using a GRADUATED CYLINDER:

Number of divisions between two number-marked lines _________
19
Accuracy __________ Precision _________

Measured Volumes Capacity (mL)

Tap water (mL) Colored-liquid (mL)
Test tube 25 19
Erlenmeyer flask 330 333

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 2. Using a PIPETTE
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Number of divisions between two number-marked lines ________

Accuracy Precision Capacity

10-mL pipette 0.1 mL
1-mL pipette

C. MEASURING TEMPERATURE
Using a Laboratory THERMOMETER:
10
Number of divisions between two number-marked lines _________

100.1
Accuracy __________ 100.22
Precision _________

Boiling Point of water 100.2 °C

_________

D. MEASURING MASS/ WEIGHT Using BALANCES

Accuracy Precision Capacity

Double beam balance

Triple beam balance

146 g

Measured masses/weights:

beaker with water 146

___________ g
beaker with 30.0 mL water 146
____________ g

E. MEASURING DENSITY

Weight of the beaker + water 34.5

__________ g
Weight of empty beaker 107
__________ g
Weight of water 27.5
__________ g
Volume of water 30
__________ mL
Density of water 0.92
__________ g/mL

Specific gravity of water __________

True value: __________

Experimental value: __________

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 COMPUTATIONS:

QUESTIONS

1. What properties of matter are commonly measured in a chemistry laboratory and

what apparatus/instruments are correspondingly used for measuring them? ____________
Chemical property – calorimeter, density – beaker, flammability – Flammability test lab equipment
__________________________________________________________________________
mass/weight - triple beam balance, double beam balance, matter – volume or mass, physical property – color,
__________________________________________________________________________
height, weight etc., reactivity – thermometer, and Volume – graduated cylinder.
2. How does the graduated cylinder compare with the pipette in terms of accuracy, precision
Pipettes are more accurate than a measuring cylinder. First, they are accurately
and capacity? ______________________________________________________
manufactured to transfer and measure specific ranges of volumes. And, second, the precision of their
__________________________________________________________________________
calibration is high, especially with manual pipetting. (Automatic pipettes need to be regularly calibrated.)
__________________________________________________________________________
Cylinders, on the other hand, depend on subjective determination of volume by eye, i.e., usually the meniscus of the
__________________________________________________________________________
fluid. The internal volume of even the smallest cylinder (other than a pipette) lacks the precision of a true pipette.
3. Compare a laboratory thermometer with a clinical thermometer in terms of applicability and
how they are used. Laboratory
_____________________________________________________
thermometers are fundamental devices in observing investigations, assessing
test materials, adjusting instruments, and other logical methodology. Numerous analysts use them to find out freezing
__________________________________________________________________________
and edges of boiling over. While, A clinical thermometer additionally alluded to as a clinical thermometer, is utilized for
__________________________________________________________________________
estimating human or creature internal heat level. The thermometer comprises a tube-shaped bulb that is loaded up with
__________________________________________________________________________
up with mercury. Furthermore, a laboratory thermometer is utilized in research facilities to quantify temperature with
high precision.
4. Describe how the weight and density of the water were determined. Are these direct
or indirect measurement processes ?___________________________________________
Measure the mass of the empty graduated cylinder. Record the weight.
We fill the cylinder with water to the indicated mL line. That is our volume. We measure the mass of the cylinder with water
________________________________________________________________________
then subtract________________________________________________________________________
the mass of the empty cylinder from the mass of the filled cylinder divide the mass of the water by its volume.
This will________________________________________________________________________
yield the density of the tap water. Then after that, we record the result. This experiment is discovered by
direct measurement.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

5. What is specific gravity? How is it related to density? Compare density and

specific gravity in terms of numerical value and units. ____________________________
Specific gravity refers to the ratio of the density
__________________________________________________________________________
of an object and the reference material. Furthermore, the specific gravity can tell us if the object will sink or float in
reference__________________________________________________________________________
material. Density and Specific Gravity are never the same, because Density has units and Specific Gravity is
dimensionless, but they are numerically equal when three conditions are met: (1) Density is measured in grams per cubic
__________________________________________________________________________
centimeter, grams per milliliter, or kilograms per liter; (2) Density and Specific Gravity are measured at the same temperature;
__________________________________________________________________________
and (3) the Specific Gravity is referenced to water at 4°C, where its Density is very close to 1 gram per cubic centimeter. The
Density of a substance may be calculated by multiplying the Specific Gravity by the Density of water at the reference
temperature. It is therefore a relative quantity with no units.
References: ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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