How to Measure Liquid Volume

Measuring liquids is an important part of cooking and baking. Especially with baking, exact amounts are very important for the recipe to come out right. There are many ways you can measure liquids, depending on the tools you have on hand.

Things You'll Need

• Wet measuring cup
• Dry measuring cups
• Scale

Instructions

1. Use a wet measuring cup. This is the easiest way but not necessarily the most accurate. Liquids must be measured while absolutely still and at eye level, making an accurate measurement difficult. For the scientists out there you could also use a graduated cylinder to measure volume.

2. Convert from a dry measure to a wet measure. There are a number of measurement conversion charts that can be found online; there is a link to one in the reference section.

3. Measure by weight. You can use any container you have around with a scale. Make sure you adjust the scale to account for the weigh of the container before you measure. Measuring by weight is generally the best way to get a precise measurement.

Tips & Warnings

• Liquids will weigh the same amount, so an ounce of a liquid will have the same volume regardless of the liquid.

• When measuring with any glass container (unless you are measuring by weight), be aware of a phenomenon called the "meniscus". The surface of the liquid will have a downward bending shape, meaning that the level of the liquid along the edges of the glass is higher than that in the center. The level at the center is correct, not the edges.

References

• CSG Network:Cooking Liquid and Dry Measure Conversion
• Spikesworld:Liquids - Science
• Morrison Labs:Meniscus Practice

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish