Funnel Volumes - Volume and Weight
Recommended for grades 9–12.
Introduction
Water drains from an open funnel. How is the volume of water changing with time? At what rate is the water level decreasing? How long will it take for the funnel to drain completely? These are a few questions that can be investigated by collecting weight data for a draining funnel, and then developing a mathematical model to describe the data.
In this activity, you will use a force sensor to measure the weight of a water-filled funnel as it drains. The weight versus time data can be graphed and analyzed using the calculator’s statistical features.
Objectives
- Record weight versus time data for a draining funnel.
- Describe the data using concepts of intercept and slope of a linear function.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Standards Correlations
See all standards correlations for Real-World Math Made Easy »
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.