Skip to main content
Biology LibreTexts

1.4: Measuring Mass

  • Page ID
    24125
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    An electronic scale is used to measure the mass of an object. The instructor will demonstrate its use.

    1. Obtain a small object such as dice. Record the mass of the object in grams (g) and milligrams (mg).
    2. Tare the weigh boat. Empty the salt into the weigh boat. Record the mass of the salt in grams (g) and milligrams (mg).

    Question

    You should consume less than 3 grams of salt/day. You weighed an amount that many in the United States consume daily. How does this compare with the recommended amount?

    Conversions

    • 1 pound = 0.454 kilograms
      1 kg = 2.2 pounds
    • 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters
      1 meter = 39.4 inches
    • 1 quart = 0.946 liters
      1 liter = 1.057 quarts

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

    A person weighs 90,000 grams (g). What is the mass in kilogram (kg)? What is the mass in pounds?

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

    What is your height in inches, centimeters, and meters?

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)

    Could a normal person be 3 meters tall? What is this height in feet/inches?

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)

    A bottle of water is 500 ml. Approximately how many cups of water does a person consuming this bottle drink?


    This page titled 1.4: Measuring Mass is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Ellen Genovesi, Laura Blinderman, & Patrick Natale via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.