Ideally, each cup should weigh four-and-a-quarter ounces or 120 grams. Then, weigh the results and write the measurements on the board.
The best way to demonstrate this is to give each group of students a standard measuring cup and ask them to bring you a cup of flour. One pound or one kilo is always one pound or one kilo. The main reasons for this are when you deal with large quantities it is difficult to measure cups (imagine measuring 75 cups of flour) and a given weight is always the same. Many commercial recipes, particularly for baking, give measurements by weight. The three most common methods for measuring solid ingredients are by cups, weight, and (for smaller amounts) teaspoons. This month’s 50 Minute Classroom column is about measuring both solids and liquids.
Last month’s article was about using thermometers to measure temperature.
