Required Practical 5: Density

Question 1

What does the density tell us?

Answer 1

Density is a measure of how heavy something is for its size, or the amount of mass in a given volume

Question 2

How can we determine the density of regular objects?

For example:
A cube

Answer 2

We can determine the density of regular objects by first measuring the mass of our object using a top pan balance. We can then use a ruler to measure the lengths of each side and multiply them together to get the volume. We can then divide the mass by the volume to determine density.

Question 3

How can we determine the density of irregular objects?

For example:
A vase

Answer 3

We can determine the density of irregular objects by using displacement, so first we measure the mass of our object using a top pan balance. We then fill a eureka can with water and place the object into the water. This will cause water to be displaced and flow out of the can through the spout into a measuring cylinder. We now measure the volume of water displaced using the measuring cylinder. This volume is the same as the volume of the object. Now that we know the mass and volume we can calculate density.