Measuring
How to be
PRECISE and ACCURATE
How to Measure MASS
MASS – the amount of MATTER in an
object; measured in grams (gm)
Triple Beam Balance
• Place an object on the pan.
• Slide the rider with the largest mass
along its beam until the pointer drops
below zero.
• Move it back one notch.
• Repeat the process on each beam until
the pointer stays at zero.
• Add the masses on each beam to find
the mass of the object.
How to Measure VOLUME
(Liquid Volume) – The amount or liquid;
measured in milliliters (ml)
Graduated
Cylinder
• A meniscus is the curve of the
surface of the water in a graduated
cylinder.
• Water "sticks" to the walls of the
graduated cylinder, but only on the
sides and not the middle.
• When you look at the surface, the
water level is not straight – it’s
curved like a smile.
• Measurement should Read the volume
be at the BOTTOM of here
the meniscus.
• Read the meniscus
at eye level in to get
an accurate
reading. read the
meniscus at eye
level.
How to Measure LENGTH
• Most metric rulers have lines
indicating centimeters and millimeters.
• The centimeter lines are the longer,
numbered lines.
• The shorter lines are millimeter lines.
• When you use a metric ruler, line up
the 0-centimeter mark with the end of
the object being measured.