Chapter 3 - Measurements UNIT 1 Foundations Chapter 3 - Measurements

Chapter 3C The Science of Measuring

Weight Weight Indicates the amount of matter, but does not measure the amount of matter directly A measure of the earth’s gravity acting on the matter Measure in Newtons, a unit of force 1 Newton = 0.224lb Weight can change from place to place, different sea levels Spring scale and an electronic scale both measure weight

Mass Mass A measure of the amount of matter in an object Measured using a balance Gravity is necessary to have in order to use the balance, but it cancels out on both sides so it is irrelevant Electronic balance and inertia are other ways to measure mass

Volume Volume The space enclosed or occupied by an object Regular Solid objects - calculations Length x width x height or other formulas Liquids calibrated beaker, volumetric flask, pipette, graduated cylinder The surface of a liquid is not flat. The curved surface is the meniscus and at its center is where the volume is read. The meniscus can be concave or convex depending on the liquid Water displacement method Can be used to measure the volume of a small, irregular shaped solid

Density Density The amount of matter or the mass of the substance contained in a specific volumetric unit Helps to identify certain kinds of matter You can calculate the density if you know the mass and volume