This article describes an activity appropriate for middle or high school physics or physical science students. Rather than giving the answer to the question “How does a milliliter compare to a cubic centimeter?” the students develop a procedure for measuring volume by calculation and by displacement of water. Students share the data and use graphical analysis to determine how a milliliter compares to a cubic centimeter. This procedure can be adapted to other quantities. Concepts include measurement, volume, graphical analysis of data, and measurement units.
References
1.
In the metric system, Celsius and kelvins. In the “English” system, feet and inches.
2.
The activity also addresses several Next Generation Science & Engineering Standards.
a)Construct, analyze, and/or interpret graphical displays of data and/or large data sets to identify linear and nonlinear relationships. See https://ngss.nsta.org/Practices.aspx?id=5&exampleid=422.
b)Analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and differences in findings. (MS-ETS1-3)
c)Develop a model to predict and/or describe phenomena. (MS-PS1-1), (MS-PS1-4)
d)Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (Common Core 5.MD.A.1)
e)Choose a level of accuracy appropriate to limitations on measurement when reporting quantities. (HS-ESS2-6, HS-PS1-6, 7)
f)Each pure substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties (for any bulk quantity under given conditions) that can be used to identify it. https://ngss.nsta.org/DisciplinaryCoreIdeas.aspx?id=1&detailID=50
g)Examples of models can be physical, graphical, or conceptual. (MS-ESS1-2)
h)Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units. (Common core 4.md.a.1)
i)Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships. (MS-PS3-1.)
j)Describe and graph quantities such as area and volume to address scientific questions. (5-ESS2-2)
3.
A convenient source of identical glass marbles is a Chinese checkers game.
4.
For a review of a graduate cylinder, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graduated_cylinder. A nice worksheet for students can be found at “Volume Measurements with a Graduated Cylinder,” https://web.archive.org/web/20160216103647/ http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/academics/colleges/cos/physics/_pdf/sig-fig-5-volume-measurements.pdf.
5.
This process essentially morphs from mathematics (equation of a straight line) to science (equation for data used). For a more complete description of the four-step analysis process, see
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2020
American Association of Physics Teachers
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