Starter

Your friend gives you a solid object that is a rectangular solid.Explain how you could determine the density of the material.

Density Lab

Practice Design an experiment to determine the density of three different materials: A wooden block, a cylindrical solid, and water.

You have a triple beam balance, a meter stick, and a graduated cylinderthat you may use.

Questions:

1. Which of your samples would float in water, and which would sink? Explain how you know this.

2. Calculate the density of the Earth. Show ALL your work. ( Volume of a sphere = 4/3 π r3 Earth’s Diameter: = 12,718,000 m Mass: = 6.00 x 1024 kg )

Wood BlockWood Block

         Trial Length (cm)

Width (cm)

Thickness (cm)

Mass (grams)

1        

2        

3        

Average        

Volume = average length x average width X average Thickness

Experimental Density = average mass / volume

Volume (cm3)

Experimental Density (g/cm3)

Accepted Density (g/cm3)

Percent Error

   

  .500

 

Water

Water

     Trial Volume (ml) Mass (grams)

1    

2    

3    

Averages    

Experimental Density = average mass / average volume

Experimental Density (g/cm3)

Accepted Density (g/cm3)

Percent Error

 

1.000

 

Cylindrical Solid

Trial Length (cm)Diameter

(cm)Mass

(grams)

1      

2      

3      

Averages      

Volume (cm3)

Experimental Density (g/cm3)

Accepted Density (g/cm3)

Percent Error

       

Volume = (average diameter/2)2 x (average Length)

Experimental Density = average mass / volume

Lab Report Checklist

1. Starter2. Data tables3. 8 Calculations ( 2 volumes, 3 densities, 3% errors)4. Questions (2)5. Summary ( with objective, procedure, results, and reasons for error.)