Which instrument and which SI unit do you use to measure each Earth science quantity?
Use appropriate tools and SI units to make and record measurements in Earth science, including length, mass, volume, temperature, time, air pressure, wind speed and rainfall (Virginia 2018 Earth Science SOL ES.1).
A SOL-level answer on measurement for the Virginia Earth Science EOC: the SI units for length, mass, volume, temperature and time, the instruments used in Earth science (thermometer, barometer, anemometer, rain gauge, graduated cylinder, balance), how to calculate density, and how to read instruments correctly, with worked exam questions.
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What this topic is asking
Virginia Earth Science SOL standard ES.1 expects you to measure with the right tool in the right unit. EOC items test this by matching an instrument to the quantity it measures, by asking you to read a scale correctly, or by giving you a small calculation such as density. The metric (SI) system is used throughout, and a quantitative item usually rewards the correct unit as much as the number.
SI units for the common quantities
The instruments of Earth science
Each quantity has a standard tool, and the EOC expects you to match them:
- Balance measures mass in grams.
- Graduated cylinder measures liquid volume in milliliters.
- Meter stick or ruler measures length.
- Thermometer measures temperature.
- Barometer measures air pressure (a falling barometer often signals approaching stormy weather).
- Anemometer measures wind speed; a wind vane shows wind direction (named for the direction the wind comes from).
- Rain gauge measures the depth of precipitation.
- A compass finds direction, and GPS and satellite images locate features and track change.
Reading instruments correctly
For a graduated cylinder, read the volume at the bottom of the meniscus (the curved liquid surface) with your eye level with it, to avoid a parallax error. For a thermometer, read at eye level and let it settle. Choose an instrument with the right range and precision: a tool that reads to 0.1 g is more precise than one that reads to whole grams. A consistent reading method reduces random error and keeps the data reliable.
Density: a worked-with quantity
Density is the most common calculation in ES.1 and reappears in the minerals and oceanography topics. It is mass per unit volume:
with mass in grams and volume in cubic centimeters (or mL), giving g/cm cubed. Density is a property of the material, so it does not change with the size of the sample: a small chip and a large block of the same rock have the same density. An object floats in a fluid if it is less dense than the fluid (ice, density about 0.92 g/cm cubed, floats on liquid water, density about 1.0 g/cm cubed).
Try this
Q1. Which instrument measures air pressure, and in what units is it often reported on a weather map? [2]
- Cue. A barometer; air pressure is reported in millibars (mb) (or inches of mercury).
Q2. A liquid has a mass of 50 g and a volume of 40 mL. Calculate its density. [2]
- Cue. .
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of VDOE exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
VA Earth Science SOL 2023 (style)1 marksA meteorologist needs to measure wind speed. Which instrument should be used? (A) a barometer. (B) an anemometer. (C) a rain gauge. (D) a thermometer.Show worked answer →
A 1-point multiple-choice item matching an instrument to a quantity.
The correct answer is B. An anemometer measures wind speed (its spinning cups turn faster in stronger wind). A barometer (A) measures air pressure, a rain gauge (C) measures the depth of rainfall, and a thermometer (D) measures temperature.
The test rewards knowing the standard Earth science instruments by what they measure.
VA Earth Science SOL 2024 (style)2 marksA mineral sample has a mass of 60 grams and a volume of 20 cubic centimeters. (a) Calculate its density and give the unit. (b) Two different-sized pieces are broken from the same mineral. State how their densities compare and why.Show worked answer →
A 2-point item using the density relationship.
(a) 1 point: density is mass divided by volume, so .
(b) 1 point: the two pieces have the same density (about 3 g/cm cubed), because density is a property of the material and does not depend on the size of the sample.
Markers reward the correct substitution and unit in (a) and the idea in (b) that density is independent of sample size.
Related dot points
- Plan and carry out investigations: identify the independent, dependent and controlled variables, use a control, and explain why repeated trials and a large sample make results more reliable (Virginia 2018 Earth Science SOL ES.1).
A SOL-level answer on experimental design for the Virginia Earth Science EOC: the independent, dependent and controlled variables, the control group, why you change only one variable at a time, and how repeated trials and sample size improve reliability, with worked exam questions.
- Organize, analyze and interpret data using tables and graphs (line, bar, scatter), identify trends and the relationship between variables, and calculate the rate of change and percent (Virginia 2018 Earth Science SOL ES.1).
A SOL-level answer on data and graphs for the Virginia Earth Science EOC: choosing the right graph type, putting the independent variable on the x-axis, reading and describing trends, interpolating and extrapolating, calculating rate of change and percent deviation, and what a gradient on a map means, with worked exam questions.
- Construct, use and evaluate models, distinguish a fact, hypothesis, theory and law, and explain how scientific knowledge is built from evidence and changes over time (Virginia 2018 Earth Science SOL ES.1).
A SOL-level answer on the nature of science for the Virginia Earth Science EOC: what a scientific model is and its limitations, the difference between a fact, hypothesis, theory and law, how evidence and peer review build reliable knowledge, why scientific ideas change, and the difference between observation and inference, with worked exam questions.
- Define a mineral and identify common rock-forming and ore minerals from their physical properties, including hardness, luster, streak, cleavage, color and density (Virginia 2018 Earth Science SOL ES.4).
A SOL-level answer on minerals for the Virginia Earth Science EOC: the five-part definition of a mineral, the physical properties used to identify them (hardness, luster, streak, cleavage and fracture, color, density), the major mineral groups led by the silicates, and why structure-based properties beat color, with worked exam questions.
- Describe the composition and layers of the atmosphere and explain how energy is transferred by radiation, conduction and convection, including the greenhouse effect (Virginia 2018 Earth Science SOL ES.8).
A SOL-level answer on the atmosphere for the Virginia Earth Science EOC: the composition (mostly nitrogen and oxygen), the layers (troposphere, stratosphere with the ozone layer, mesosphere, thermosphere), and the three ways energy moves (radiation, conduction, convection) plus the greenhouse effect, with worked exam questions.
Sources & how we know this
- 2018 Science Standards of Learning (Earth Science) — Virginia Department of Education (2018)
- SOL Practice Items (All Subjects) — Virginia Department of Education (2024)