PRACTICAL 1: MEASUREMENT IN EVERYDAY LIFE Objective: To take and compare measurements using different types of instruments.

Hypothesis: micrometer screw-gauge is the most accurate measuring instrument compare to vernier caliper and meter rule because it has the finest divisions on its scale that produce most precise measurement. Electronic balance is more accurate then beam balance because it measure mass of object more accurate in scale. Theoretical Knowledge: Measurement is the process of obtaining the magnitude of a quantity, such as length or mass, relative to a unit of measurement, such as a meter or a kilogram. The term can also be used to refer to the result obtained after performing the process. The metric system is a decimalized system of measurement based on the metre and the gramme. It exists in several variations, with different choices of base units, though these do not affect its day-to-day use. Since the 1960s, the International System of Units (SI), explained further below, is the internationally recognized standard metric system. Metric units of mass, length, and electricity are widely used around the world for both everyday and scientific purposes. The main advantage of the metric system is that it has a single base unit for each physical quantity. All other units are powers of ten or multiples of ten of this base unit. Unit conversions are always simple because they will be in the ratio of ten, one hundred, one thousand, etc. All lengths and distances, for example, are measured in meters, or thousandths of a meter (millimeters), or thousands of meters (kilometers), and so on. There is no profusion of different units with different conversion factors as in the Imperial system (e.g. inches, feet, yards, fathoms, rods). Multiples and submultiples are related to the fundamental unit by factors of powers of ten, so that one can convert by simply moving the decimal place: 1.234 meters is 1234 millimeters or 0.001234 kilometers. The use of fractions, such as 2/5 of a metre, is not prohibited, but uncommon. The International System of Units (abbreviated SI from the French language name Systme International d'Units ) is the modern, revised form of the metric system. It is

the world's most widely used system of units, both in everyday commerce and in science. The SI was developed in 1960 from the metre-kilogram-second (MKS) system, rather than the centimetre-gram-second (CGS) system, which, in turn, had many variants. At its development the SI also introduced several newly named units that were previously not a part of the metric system. The SI units for the four basic physical quantities: length, time, mass, and temperature are: 1. meter (m) :SI unit of length 2. second (s) :SI unit of time 3. kilogram (kg) :SI unit of mass 4. kelvin (K) :SI unit of temperature There are two types of SI units, base and derived units. Base units are the simple measurements for time, length, mass, temperature, amount of substance, electric current and light intensity. Derived units are made up of base units, for example, density is kg/m3. Mass refers to the intrinsic property of all material objects to resist changes in their momentum. Weight, on the other hand, refers to the downward force produced when a mass is in a gravitational field. In free fall, objects lack weight but retain their mass. The Imperial units of mass include the ounce, pound, and ton. The metric units gram and kilogram are units of mass. A unit for measuring weight or mass is called a weighing scale or, often, simply a scale. A spring scale measures force but not mass, a balance compares masses, but requires a gravitational field to operate. The most accurate instrument for measuring weight or mass is the digital scale, but it also requires a gravitational field, and would not work in free fall. Instrument and materials: Meter rule, verniar calipers, micrometer screw gauge, beam balance, electronic balance, a piece of copper wire, pencil, hair and a teaspoon of sand.

Activity 1: Measuring Length Procedures: 1. By using the meter rule, Vernier calipers and micrometer screw-gauge, measure the diameter of a pencil, hair and a teaspoon of sand. 2. Repeat your measurement 3. Tabulate your result Result Materials Meter rules 1st Diameter of pencil Diameter of wire Diameter of hair 2nd 3rd Avg Vernier calipers 1st 2nd 3rd Avg Micrometer screw-gauge (zero error reading = ) 1st 2nd 3rd avg

Question: 1. Of the three measuring instruments used to measure length, which is the most precise? Which is the most accurate? Micrometer screw-gauge because it has the finest divition on its scale which is 0.01mm compare to vernier caliper (0.1mm) and meter rule (1.0mm).

2. If a student uses a meter rule to measure the thickness of an object, it is not realistic for him to record the reading as 4.32 cm. explain why? Meter rule lowest point is only at 0.1 cm so it can have the accurate reading for the measure below 0.1 cm.

3. What instrument would you use to measure the thickness of a piece of paper? Explain. Micrometer screw-gauge because this instrument has the most smallest reading point compare to meter rule and vernier calipers. Put 100 piece of paper into the micrometer screw-gauge, measure the thickness and then divide the measure to 100 so you can get the thickness of a piece of paper.

Activity 2: Measuring Mass Procedure: 1. By using the beam balance and the electronic balance, measure the mass of apiece of pencil and a teaspoon of sand 2. Repeat your measurements. 3. Tabulate your results. Results: Materials Pencil Sand Beam balance 1st 2nd 3rd Avg Electronic balance 1st 2nd 3rd Avg

Questions: 1. Of the two measuring instrument used to measure mass, which is the most precise? Which is the most accurate? Explain. Electronic balance. It is a balance which shows the weight of a substance digitally and is used to weigh chemicals in labs. This balance has more significant digit and it can measure more lighter materials compare to the beam balance. It is usually accurate because it automatically measured materials using computer program while beam balance is using manually by hand.

2. Name another balance which can be used to measure mass in everyday life. Spring balance.

Mastery of knowledge and skills questions: 1. At the end of the practical , answer the following question: a. What have you learnt from the practical? From the practical, I have learnt lots of ways to handle the measurement. We know that measurement is the process of obtaining the magnitude of a quantity, such as length or mass, relative to a unit of measurement, such as a meter or a kilogram. The term can also be used to refer to the result obtained after performing the process. Based on the two activities I learned that accuracy and precision is important when measuring in order to get best result. Lots of measuring instrument can be used to measure weather to measure mass, length or else.

b. Which part of the primary science curriculum teaches this particular topic? Primary science curriculum year 4 (The Physical World)

c. Discuss how you can use the above practical in your teaching and learning? Based on those activities, I can adapt it in my teaching and learning strategies by compare it to student daily activities. For examples, student can measure the length of the entire object around them by using different types of apparatus. They can choose to get the most accurate measurement. I can teach them that the measurement can be use to make they understand more about other characteristic. d. What was the role of the teacher in the above practical? Teacher act as a facilitator and guide them by describing the way to handle the activities and how to use the apparatus wisely.

Conclusion: Micrometer screw-gauge is the most accurate measuring instrument compare to vernier caliper and meter rule because it has the finest divisions on its scale that produce most precise measurement. Electronic balance is more accurate then beam balance because it measure mass of object more accurate in scale. Hypothesis accepted. References: 1. Glenco PHYSICS, principle and problems by Paul w. Zitzewitz, Ph. D 2. Tracking the esterification Web site. (2009).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement