Measuring A Containers Volume? How To?

[dogbolter]

Hi - I'm hoping that someone out there maybe able to give me a guide to calculating the volume in litres of say a pail or bucket.

With Thanks

 

[razz]

Do you want the technical maths formula or the easy method as used by bucket chemist's ?

 

[Aaron]

A very simple way would be to take something of known volume and use it to fill the vessels volume that you don't know. About the simplest way you can do it.

For example us a 2lt soft drink bottle or a 500ml bottle depending on the size of the vessel that you are trying to work out. Probably easier than calculating it unless it is a very uniform size.

 

[goatherder]

Do you have a set of digital scales?

Water has a density of close to 1kg/litre. This changes with temperature and atmospheric pressure but not enough to worry about when you are dealing with a bucket full.

Put your bucket on the scales and fill with water - the weight in kg will be very close to the volume in litres.

 

[underback]

I use this http://www.online-calculators.co.uk/volume...indervolume.php

Doesn't account for tapered vessels though.

Cheers.

 

[Screwtop]

Fill it up, tip it out into a graduated jug, I use a 5L jug available at most HBS. Measure as you empty.

 

[dogbolter]

Thanks all

 

[normell]

I use this http://www.online-calculators.co.uk/volume...indervolume.php

Doesn't account for tapered vessels though.

Cheers.

Will work if you measure the radius, half way up

 

[mika]

A tapered vessel is simply treated as the frustrum of a cone, as long as it's round. I have the formula in an excel sheet if anyone's interested. Or you can open your cope of Machinery's Handbook and it's in the fron there somewhere.
Does cone's frustrum's and cylinders. Handy when working out hopper size in the materials handling business

 

[Ash in Perth]

easiest is just weigh it, fill it and weigh it again. depending on your scales accuracy i would just asume water is 1kg/L, but it is actually about 0.9982 at 20DegC

 

[Guest Lurker]

easiest is just weigh it, fill it and weigh it again. depending on your scales accuracy i would just asume water is 1kg/L, but it is actually about 0.9982 at 20DegC

Dont forget about the dissolved salts in the water. In Perth my water is measuring 850 uS/cm as conductivity, which suggests it contains about 500 mg/l dissolved salts (which is high for potable water, but thats Perth for you). So if in Perth, I would use 0.9987, rather than 0.9982. And if you decide to do the exercise at the seaside, with seawater, use a value of about 1.033.

Probably wish you hadnt asked now.

 

[Ash in Perth]

good point mate, im used to using distilled water at work. that 0.0005 could have caused some problems!