You have a clock with a second hand, a ruler marked in millimeters

You have a clock with a second hand, a ruler marked in millimeters, a graduated cylinder marked in milliliters, and scales sensitive to 1 mg. How would you measure the mass of a drop of water? How would you measure the period of a swing? How would you measure the volume of a paper clip? How can you improve the accuracy of your measurements? Write the procedures clearly so that a partner can follow them and obtain reasonable results.

The correct answer and explanation is :

Measuring the Mass of a Drop of Water

1. Place an empty container (such as a small dish) on the scales and record its mass.
2. Use a dropper to carefully add a single drop of water to the container.
3. Record the new mass of the container with the drop of water.
4. Subtract the initial mass from the final mass to determine the mass of the drop.
5. Repeat the process multiple times and calculate the average mass for accuracy.

Measuring the Period of a Swing

1. Pull the swing back to a fixed starting position and release it without pushing.
2. Use the clock to measure the time taken for one full oscillation (from one extreme to the other and back).
3. Since a single swing may be too quick to measure accurately, time ten complete swings and record the total time.
4. Divide the total time by ten to obtain the period of one oscillation.
5. Repeat the measurement several times and calculate the average period for accuracy.

Measuring the Volume of a Paper Clip

1. Fill the graduated cylinder with water to a known level and record the initial volume.
2. Drop the paper clip into the water, ensuring no splashing.
3. Record the new water level.
4. Subtract the initial volume from the final volume to find the volume of the paper clip.
5. Repeat the process with multiple paper clips and calculate the average volume for better accuracy.

Improving Accuracy

• Use multiple trials and calculate the average.
• Ensure measurements are taken at eye level to prevent parallax errors.
• Use the most precise instrument available for each measurement.
• Reduce external factors such as air currents and vibrations when measuring mass.
• Ensure water adheres to the dropper consistently when measuring drops.