You used a graduated cylinder to indirectly find the volume of the irregularly shaped rock.
To measure the volume of an irregularly shaped object like a rock, the displacement method is commonly used. This method involves measuring the change in volume of a liquid when the object is submerged in it.
Here's how the displacement method works in this scenario:
1. Fill a graduated cylinder with a known amount of water or another liquid.
2. Record the initial volume of the liquid in the graduated cylinder.
3. Carefully submerge the irregularly shaped rock in the cylinder, making sure it is fully submerged.
4. As the rock is submerged, the liquid level in the graduated cylinder will rise.
5. Record the final volume of the liquid with the rock in it.
6. The difference between the initial and final volume of the liquid is equal to the volume of the rock.
In this case, you used a graduated cylinder to measure the change in volume of the liquid caused by the rock's displacement. This allows you to indirectly find the volume of the irregularly shaped rock.
Remember, the displacement method is a practical way to measure the volume of objects that have irregular shapes and cannot be easily measured using traditional methods like length, width, and height.