You have to work with 240 mL of a liquid. You are provided with 250 mL, 400 mL and
800 mL beakers. Which would be the best size of beaker to use? Which would be the
worst size? Explain your reasoning.
A 250 beaker has graduations every 25 mL. With what accuracy can you estimate the
volume of liquid in the beaker?
The best size of beaker to use would be the 250 mL beaker because it is the closest in size to the amount of liquid you have, which is 240 mL. This means that it will be easier to measure and transfer the liquid accurately without significant loss or spillage.
On the other hand, the worst size of beaker to use would be the 800 mL beaker as it is significantly larger than the amount of liquid you have. This means that it would be difficult to accurately measure and handle the liquid in the beaker without potential spills and inaccuracies.
Regarding the accuracy of estimating the volume of liquid in the 250 mL beaker, since it has graduations every 25 mL, you can estimate the volume of liquid with an accuracy of approximately +/- 12.5 mL.
To determine the best and worst size of beaker to use, we need to consider the volume of liquid we are working with, which is 240 mL.
Since we have to work with 240 mL of liquid, the best size of beaker to use would be the 250 mL beaker. This is because it is the closest in size to the volume we need to measure. If we use the 250 mL beaker, we would only have a small amount of empty space left in the beaker, reducing the possibility of spillage or error during pouring or transferring the liquid.
On the other hand, the worst size of beaker to use would be the 800 mL beaker. This is because it is significantly larger than the volume we need, resulting in a large amount of empty space in the beaker. This increases the chances of making measurements or transferring the liquid incorrectly, leading to potential errors in the overall experiment.
Now, let's address the accuracy of estimating the volume of liquid using the 250 mL beaker with graduations every 25 mL. The graduations on the beaker indicate the markings or increments at specific volumes. In this case, since the graduations are at every 25 mL, we can estimate the volume of liquid within a range of 25 mL.
For example, if the liquid level falls between the 200 mL and 225 mL graduations, we can estimate the volume as approximately 212.5 mL. This means our accuracy is within 25 mL, as we can only estimate with a precision of the smallest graduation on the beaker.
Therefore, we can estimate the volume of liquid in the 250 mL beaker with an accuracy of plus or minus 25 mL.