Name ______________________________ Class ______________ Date_________
Finding the Volume of Irregularly Shaped Objects
Using Water Displacement
Procedure:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Add water to the graduated cylinder, approximately 50 mL
Record the volume of water (mL)
Carefully place the object(s) into the graduated cylinder
Record the object(s) placed into the GC and the new level of water (mL)
Subtract the final mL from the starting mL to find the volume of the object(s)
Data Table: Volume in mL
Objects
example: 2 Marbles & 3 pennies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Starting
Final
Volume
40 mL
57 mL
17 mL
Liz LaRosa www.middleschoolscience.com 2015
Name ______________________________ Class ______________ Date_________
Finding the Volume of Irregularly Shaped Objects
Using Water Displacement
Analysis Questions - Answer the following in complete sentences.
1. What does the term displace or displacement mean?
Displacement is the weight or volume of fluid displaced (moved) by a
floating or submerged object.
2. What is the formula used to find the volume of irregularly shaped objects?
Final Velocity – Initial Velocity
3. Which single item had the smallest volume? Largest volume?
The item with the smallest mass had the smallest volume.
The item with the largest mass had the largest volume.
4. Which group of items had the largest volume?
Answer will vary.
5. What is a meniscus?
The meniscus is the curve at a liquid’s surface by which one measures the volume
of a liquid.
6. Why is it important to read the meniscus at eye level while the graduated cylinder
is on a flat surface?
It is important to read the meniscus at eye level while the graduated cylinder is
on a flat surface to get an accurate; not distorted reading.
7. If you drop an object into the graduated cylinder, and water splashes out of the
cylinder, will that affect your data? Explain.
If I drop an object into a graduated cylinder, and water splashes out of the
cylinder, the data will be inaccurate because the loss of water affects the initial
volume making it inaccurate.
8. Can you find the volume of an object if the object is higher than the final water
level, or not completely submerged? Why or why not?
If an object is not completely submerged, you cannot find the volume of the
object because the final volume cannot be determined.
9. Can you find the volume of an object if the final water level passes the highest
reading on a graduated cylinder? Why or why not?
If the final volume exceeds the capacity of the graduated cylinder, the final
volume cannot be determined because the final volume cannot be determined.
10. Draw two graduated cylinders. Show the water levels before and after a marble
with a volume of 20 mL is added.
Liz LaRosa www.middleschoolscience.com 2015