MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

SECONDARY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME

INTEGRATED SCIENCE

GRADE 7

Week 2 Lesson 2

Topic: How a Scientist Works

Sub-topic: Reading Laboratory Equipment

Objective: Given pictures of graduated laboratory equipment, students will read

the values shown on the equipment correctly.

Content: Equipment found in the science laboratory are numerous. Most of the
time, conducting scientific experiments require the use of one or more
types of equipment. Can you remember the names of some equipment
found in the lab?

When accurate measurements are needed, scientists use glassware that

are marked with graduations. Example: Graduated cylinder (measuring
cylinder), thermometers, volumetric flask etc. Let us look at how you
are to read these devices.

Graduated cylinders are used to measure

the volume of liquids. Measuring liquids
in graduated cylinders can be tricky
because the liquid surface is curved.
This curved surfaces is called the
meniscus. A meniscus forms because the
liquid molecules are more strongly
attracted to the container than to each

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 other. To properly measure the volume
of a liquid in a graduated cylinder you
must be at eye-level and read the bottom
point of the meniscus.

Steps to Reading Graduated

Cylinders

1. Place the graduated cylinder on a level surface with the

measurement lines facing you.

2. The water in a cylinder will form a curve called the meniscus

3. Your eye should be level with the top of the liquid

4. Find the bottom of the curved meniscus in the water. This should be
in the center of the graduated cylinder.

5. Follow the lowest point at the surface of the water to the wall of the
graduated cylinder. Read the volumetric scale at this point.

If you have trouble seeing the meniscus, try holding a black card
against the opposite side of the graduated cylinder at the same height
as the water.

Plastic cylinders may differ and the liquid level will have
a flat surface. In that case you still read the center, not
the edges.

Steps to Finding the Scale of Graduated Equipment

1. Subtract two “neighboring” numbers on the number

line.
Example: 20 – 10 = 10
2. Count how many spaces between those two numbers.
Example: 5

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 3. Divide the difference by the number of spaces.
Example: 10 ÷ 5 = 2
4. The value of each line is 2

Tip: All graduated equipment used for measuring, follow the same
principle as the graduated cylinder.

Homework:

A graduated cylinder can have numerous scales. Determine the value for the minor grids on
the cylinder in milliliter.

a) ______ b) _______ c) __________ d) __________

References

1. www.education.com/worksheets
Retrieved: 27th August, 2020
2. http://www.jabe.com/#F
Retrieved: 24th August, 2020
3. https://www.oxfordsd.org/cms/lib/MS01001032/Centricity/Domain/724/Section%203%20-
%20Measurements_%20Scales_%20and%20Conversions.pdf
Retrieved: 27th August, 2020

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