measurement

Graduated cylinder

Used to measure liquid volume more precisely than a beaker.

How do you read a graduated cylinder?

At eye level, reading the bottom of the meniscus.

Meniscus

The curved surface of a liquid.

What determines the precision of a graduated cylinder?

Its smallest graduation.

Beaker

Used to hold, mix, and heat liquids; provides approximate volume measurements.

Graduated cylinder vs. beaker

A graduated cylinder provides more precise volume measurements.

Smaller graduations

Generally allow more precise measurements.

Measurement recording

Record all certain digits plus one estimated digit.

Ruler measurement

Align the object with zero, read all certain digits, estimate one additional digit, and include units.

Volume displacement

Vobject = Vfinal − Vinitial.

Significant figures

Communicate the precision of a measurement.

Accuracy

How close a measurement is to the true value.

Precision

How close repeated measurements are to each other.

Units

Should be included with every measurement.