Date:........................................

1.4:

Understanding the use of measuring tools

Measurement of length
Activity1: Measuring the lengths of straight lines and curves
Aim:...................................................................................................................................................
Apparatus:.........................................................................................................................................
Material:...........................................................................................................................................
Procedure:
1.
Measure the length of each straight line in Figure 1.1 with your ruler. State each reading in
centimeters and millimeters.
(a)

(b)

cm:.................... mm:....................

cm:.........................

mm:....................

Figure 1.1
2.

Measure the quantities shown in the table by using the appropriate tool. Take three
readings for each measurement and find the average of the three readings.
Quantity
Readings (cm)
1st reading
2nd reading 3rd reading Average (cm)
Length of textbook
Width of textbook

Discussion:
1.
How are the length and width of the textbook measured?
...................................................................................................................................................
2.

How are the lengths of the curve lines measured?

...................................................................................................................................................

3.

Why is each measurement made three times?

...................................................................................................................................................
p.1

4.

What is the correct position of your eye when a measurement is taken?

...................................................................................................................................................

5.

What is an error due to parallax? ............................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Conclusion:
1.
The length of a straight line is measured by using a ................................................................
2.

The length of a curved line can be measured by using a .........................................................

Activity 2:

Measuring the diameter of objects using calipers and a ruler

Aim: ...................................................................................................................................................
Apparatus:

External calipers, Internal calipers, Metre rule, 100 ml beaker and boiling tube

Procedure:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Measure the external diameter of a beaker using external calipers (Figure a). Take three
readings from different parts of the object.
Measure the internal diameter of a beaker using internal calipers (Figure b). Take three
readings from different parts of the object.
Repeat steps 1 and 2, with a boiling tube.
Record your readings in a table.

Observation:
Item
1

External diameter (cm)

2
3
Average

Internal diameter (cm)

2
3
Average

Beaker
Boiling tube
Discussion:
1.
Are the three measurements for the external diameter of the beaker the same? Suggest a
reason.
...................................................................................................................................................
p.2

2.

How would your calculate the thickness of the beaker?

...................................................................................................................................................

3.

Based on your measurements, calculate the thickness of the wall of the beaker and the
boiling tube.
Thickness of beaker

4.

Thickness of boiling tube

Which calipers would you use to measure the diameter of a ping pong ball?
...........................................................................................................................

5.

Explain how you can estimate the thickness of one sheet of paper in your text book.
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................

Conclusion:
1.
The external diameter of an object can be measured by using ................................................
and ...............................................................
2.

The internal diameter of an object can be measured by using .................................................

and ................................................................

Exercise on measuring length.

1.
a)

Determine the value of the quantity being measured in the diagrams given.
Pencils length:
= .......................... cm
= ...........................mm

p.3

b)

c)

Test tubes internal diameter

= ......................cm

= ....................mm

Test tubes external diameter

= ..................cm

= ........................ mm

Determine the thickness of the test tube (in cm)

2. The diagram below show the ways of measuring the diameters of a beaker.
X

a) Name the tools shown in the diagram.

X :............................................................ Y :..........................................................
b) Identify the suitable tool (X or Y) to measure the following in the diagram.
i. Internal diameter of the beaker

ii.

External diameter of the beaker

......................................................

.......................................................

c) i. The internal diameter of the beaker is ii. The external diameter of the beaker is
.............................. cm

.............................. cm

iii. The thickness of the beaker is (show the calculation)

p.4

Date:............................................

Measurement of area
Activity 1: Estimating the area of regular and irregular shapes
1.

The graph paper given below has a grid of 1 cm x 1cm. For each of the shapes on the
graph paper, mark with a tick ( ) on
(a)
every complete square,
(b)
every half or more than half of a compete square.

1 cm
2.

Complete the table below by writing down the number of ticks and the estimated area of
each shape.
Shape
Estimated area (cm2)
Number of ticks ( )
A
B
C

3.

Arrange the shapes in a sequence, starting with the one with the largest area.
........................................................................................................................

4.

If the grid of the graph paper is changed to cm x cm, what can be said about the
estimated area?
...............................................................................................................................................
p.5
Date:....................................

Exercise on measuring area of irregular shaped objects.

1. Find the area of these irregular objects (using graph paper)

a) Area = ...........................................

b) Area = ......................................

c) Area = ..............................

e) Area = .......................................

d) Area = ...........................

f)

Area = ...........................................
p.6
Date:.....................................

Measurement of volume
Activity 1: Measuring the volume of water using a measuring cylinder.
Aim: ...................................................................................................................................................
Apparatus:
Material:

Measuring cylinder, beaker, cup

A piece of white paper

Procedure:

1.

Examine a measuring cylinder and note the following:

a) the unit used
b) the zero mark on the measuring cylinder
c) the volume of liquid measured by the smallest division of the graduation.

2.
Fill a beaker with water. Pour the water into an empty measuring cylinder. Read the volume
of water in the measuring cylinder and record it.
3.
Repeat step 2 with a cup.
Observation:
Unit used
Position of zero
Smallest division
Volume of water in beaker
Volume of water in cup
Discussion:
1.
What is meant by volume? ......................................................................................................
2.

Why should you not hold the measuring cylinder in the hand when reading it?
...................................................................................................................................................

3.

4.

Why do you hold a piece of white paper behind the meniscus of the liquid when reading the
measuring cylinder?
...................................................................................................................................................
p.7
How should you position your eye level when reading the measuring cylinder?

...................................................................................................................................................
5.

What is the relationship between 1 cm3 and 1 ml?

...................................................................................................................................................

Date:...................................
Activity 2: Measuring the volume of water using a burette
Aim: ...................................................................................................................................................
Apparatus: .........................................................................................................................................
Procedure:
1.
Clamp a burette upright to a retort stand.
2.
With the help of a filter funnel, fill the burette with water until it is above the zero mark.
3.
Open the tap slowly and run out some water until the water level reaches the zero mark.
4.
Record the reading of the burette.
5.
Use the burette to collect 20 ml of water in a conical flask and 15.5 ml in a beaker.
Observation:
Particulars
Initial reading of burette

Reading of burette
(ml)

Volume of water delivered

(ml)
_

Reading of burette after collecting

water into conical flask
Reading of burette after collecting
water into beaker
Discussion:
1.
What is the use of burette? ......................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
2.

Where is the zero mark on the burette? ..................................................................................

3.

What is the maximum volume of water the burette can measure? .........................................

4.

What volume does the smallest division on the burette measure? ..........................................

5.

Why do you run out some water from the burette before using it?
...................................................................................................................................................

6.

Which measuring instrument is more accurate, the 100 ml measuring cylinder or the
burette? Why?
...................................................................................................................................................
p.8

Date:.......................................
Activity 3: Measuring volume of water using a pipette
Aim:...................................................................................................................................................
Apparatus: ........................................................................................................................................
& materials
Procedure:
1.
A conical flask was filled with some coloured water. The tip of the pipette was dipped
into the coloured water.
2.
The suction pump was used to suck out the coloured water until it reached the zero mark.
Discussion:
1.
What is the maximum volume that the pipette can measure? .................................................
2.

Where is the position of the zero mark? .................................................................................

Conclusion:
A pipette is used to measure .............................................................................................................
Exercise on measuring volume of liquid
1. The diagram below the readings of the volume of a
liquid in a measuring cylinder, taken with the eye
placed at different positions.
The correct volume of the liquid in the
measuring cylinder is ........................................ ml.
2. Figure 6 and Figure 7 show the measurement of water and mercury respectively.

a) The volume of water = ..................ml

b) The volume of mercury = ....................ml

3. A student opened the burette tap to let some water drip slowly from the burette into a beaker.
The result of the experiment is shown in the box below.
Initial reading
Find the volume of a drop of water.
volume of water
= 25 ml
Final reading
volume of water

= 27.5 ml

Number of water
drops

= 50

4. The diagram shows a measuring tool used in an activity.

a) i. Name the measuring tool used in this activity.
.........................................................................
ii. What is the use of the measuring tool
mentioned in (a)(i)?
...........................................................................
...........................................................................
...........................................................................
b) In this activity, 40 drops of water in the measuring tool is allowed to flow into the beaker.
The diagram below shows the initial and the final reading of water in the measuring tool.

i. Write the initial reading and the final reading shown above.
Initial reading :..............................................................................
Final reading :...............................................................................
ii. What is the volume of water collected in the beaker?
..........................................................................................................................................
iii. Calculate the volume of one drop of water.

c) State one precautionary step when using the measuring tool

................................................................................................................................................
p.10

Date:...................................
Activity 4: Estimating the volume of regular and irregular
solids using the water replacement method
Aim:...................................................................................................................................................
Apparatus
& materials:.......................................................................................................................................
Procedure:
1. Fill a 100 ml measuring cylinder with water until it is half full.
Record the initial volume of water.
2. Tie the metal cube provided with a string. Lower it into the water.
3. Record the volume of water in the measuring cylinder.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 using a stone, a glass stopper and a metal bob.
5. Record your readings in a table.

Observations:
Object

Initial volume
(ml)

Final volume
(ml)

Volume of water
displaced (ml)

Volume of object
(cm3)

Metal cube
Stone
Glass stopper
Metal bob
Discussion:
1. a) What is the volume of water displaced by the metal cube? .............................................
b) What can you conclude about the volume of water displaced by a 1 cm3 solid?
............................................................................................................................................
2. What is the volume shown by the smallest division on a 100 ml and a 250 ml measuring
cylinder?
......................................................................................................................................................
3.

4.

a)

What is the volume of the water displaced by the stone? ..............................................

b)

What is the volume of the stone? ...................................................................................

State the method used to measure the volume of solids in this activity.
....................................................................................................................................

p.11

5.

What is the water displacement method?

...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................

6.

What is the factor that is not considered in this activity?

...................................................................................................................................................

7.

State the scientific principle used in this activity.

...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................

8.

Can you use this method to determine the volume of some common salt? Explain why.
...................................................................................................................................................

9.

Why should the solids be lowered slowly into the water in the measuring cylinder?
...................................................................................................................................................

Conclusions:
The volume of an regular and irregular .................................. can be determined by using the
....................................................................................
Exercise on measuring volume of solids
1. The diagram shows a method to use to measure the volume of a stone.

a) The technique is called the .......................................................................................................

b) i. The volume of the stone = ............. cm3

ii.The volume of the cork = ................ cm3

2. a) 100 needles are immersed in 100 cm3 of water in a measuring cylinder and the reading
reads 113 cm3. Determine the volume of one needle.

p.12

b)

Volume of stone = .............................

c)

Calculate the average volume of one

marble.

d)
Volume of stone = ...................... cm3
Volume of cork = ....................... cm3
12cm3
3. The diagram at the right side shows ten marbles of the
same size in a measuring cylinder. Calculate the
volume of each marble.
Number of marbles = ...........................................
Initial reading of volume = ............................... cm3
Final reading of volume = ................................ cm3
Total volume of marbles = ............................... cm3
Volume of 1 marble = ....................................... cm3
p.13

4. The diagram shows 20 lead shots placed into an apparatus.

a) In the diagram, label apparatus G and H.

G :...............................................................

H :................................................................

b) Name the method used in the diagram

.....................................................................................................................
c) Based on the diagram, find the volume of
i. 20 lead shots :.............................................................................
ii. 1 lead shot :...................................................................................................................
d) i. Tick ( ) in the box provided the object that cannot be measured using this method.
Sand

Salt

ii. Give a reason for your answer in (d)(i).

................................................................................................................................................
5. The diagram shows two iron nails inside the measuring
cylinder. Calculate the volume of one nail.
Number of iron nail = ..............................................
Initial reading of volume = ............................... cm3
Final reading of volume = ............................... cm3
Total volume of iron nails = .............................. cm3
Volume of 1 iron nail = ..................................... cm3
p.14

Date:.........................................

Measurement of temperature
Activity 1: Measuring the temperature of water and the body.
Aim:...................................................................................................................................................
Apparatus: Laboratory thermometer, clinical thermometer
Materials: Beaker of cold water, beaker of hot water, beaker of disinfectant, cotton wool
Procedure:
1. Examine a laboratory thermometer and a clinical thermometer. Note the highest temperature
and the lowest temperature measured by each thermometer.
2. Use the laboratory thermometer to measure the temperature of the hot water and the cold
water.
3. Use the clinical thermometer to measure the temperature of your body.
Observations:
Details

Laboratory thermometer
(oC)

Clinical thermometer
(oC)

Highest temperature measured

Lowest temperature measured
Temperature of hot water
Temperature of cold water
Temperature of body
Discussions:
1. State two precautions you should take when using a laboratory thermometer.
a) ................................................................................................................................................
b) ................................................................................................................................................
2. What is the liquid used in the two types of thermometer? .........................................................
3. Where should a clinical thermometer be placed when taking the body temperature?
......................................................................................................................................................
4. What is the use of the constriction in a clinical thermometer?
......................................................................................................................................................
5. i) What is the highest temperature that can
be measured by a clinical thermometer? .........................................................
ii) What is the lowest temperature that can
be measured by a clinical thermometer? .........................................................
iii) Why does a clinical thermometer scale have such a short temperature range?
................................................................................................................................................
p.15

6. Why is it necessary to flick a clinical thermometer before using it?

......................................................................................................................................................
7. We place the bulb end of a clinical thermometer in a disinfectant after/before using it.
Suggest a reason for this.
......................................................................................................................................................
8. Predict what will happen to the liquid in the laboratory thermometer when you hold the bulb
of the thermometer between your thumb and your first finger?
......................................................................................................................................................
9. In the spaces provided, label diagrams of a laboratory thermometer and a clinical
thermometer.

Name of thermometer:..................................................................................

Name of thermometer:...................................................................................
10. Write the temperature readings shown on the thermometers, P, Q and R, below.

p.16