Apr07

Learn about the Metric System and Measurements of Volume and Mass

Have you ever wondered if there is relationship between volume measurements and mass measurements? In today’s post we will find out!

Before you begin, you may review volume measurements and mass measurements in the metric system:

Now that we have reviewed the volume and mass measurements, we will determine whether there is any relationship between them.

Are kilograms and liters equivalent?

We know that 1 liter of distilled water has a mass of 1 kilogram.

But … Does this mean that 1 liter of any liquid will weigh 1 kilogram?

They will not, because they are different scales!

The kilogram is a mass measurement: this scale can relate to weight.

The liter does not measure the mass or the weight, but volume, i.e., what an object occupies.

The Density

The relationship between mass and volume is called density, and measures the amount of mass that fits in a given volume.

Water has a density of 1 kg /L, that is, 1 liter of water has a mass of exactly 1 kg.
Have you ever tried mixing water with oil?

You’ll notice that the oil is floating above and the water stays below.

This is because the oil has a lower density than water: about 0.91 kg / L.

That is, 1 liter of water and 1 liter of oil have the same volume, but 1 liter of water is heavier than 1 liter of oil. So, the water stays at the bottom of the container and the oil, as it weighs less, stays floating on top.

Did you like this post? If you want to learn more about measurements of volume and mass, and many other things, you can try Smartick for free.

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