Casey Coghlan

9-8-14

Density Lab
Purpose or objective- to use different ways of finding density, When using the most precise
measurements.
Materials:
Candy Bar: Milky way fun size, 3 musketeers fun size, electric balance (goes out to the hundredth),
cm ruler, calculator (optional)
precision: three cubes, one marble, one rubber stopper, one hex nut, electric balance, cm ruler,
graduated cylinder, tap water.
online density: Computer,
website https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/density
something to write with (optional)

observations:
Precision:

this

cube 1
qualitative- clear, sinks in water not heavy, has no odor
quantitative-1 cm3, 19.85g 19.81 g/cm3
cube two
qualitative- silver, middle heavy, does to float, little odor
quantitative- 1 cm3. 45.81g 45.81 g/cm3
cube 3
qualitative- bronze, shiny, heaviest of the 3, does not float in water, strong odor.
quantitative- 1 cm3, 146.16 g g/cm3
marble
qualitative- orange circle, very light, does not float in water.
quantitative- 3.74 g. 1cm3
hex nut
qualitative- hexagon silver shiny small not heavy
quantitative- 3.18 g, 0.5 cm3

rubber stopper
qualitative- smell rubbery, kind of squishy, black triangular cylinder, not heavy, feels like it have not much
density
quantitative- 4.24 g, 3.3 cm3
Candy bar:
milky way
Qualitative: small, lightweight, brown wrapper.
quantitative:
17.76 g 4.0 cm long 1.5 cm high 2.5 cm wide

17.76
15

15 cm3
1.18 g/cm3
sinks
Qualitative: smaller than milkyway, lightweight, shiny wrapper.
Quantitative:
3 musketeers
16.15 g 4.5 cm long 1.5 cm high 2.5 cm wide
16.15
16.88
16.88 cm3
0.96 g/cm3
floats
Online density: N/A

procedure: steps in template:

https://docs.google.com/a/indianola.k12.ia.us/document/d/1oDQk9FELIAQvXQlMLvmRXXJT6UWqkgCGYS78vFvHE8/edit
Candy bar:
1. Get a milky way and 3 musketeers
2. find the volume (LxWxH) by using a cm ruler of the milky way and go out to most precise number.
3. Find the mass of milky way, go out to the hundredths.
4. Divide mass divided volume to get density of the Milky way.
5. Determine if the candy bar will float or sink in water.
6. repeat for 3 musketeers.

Precision:
1: get all your materials listed above.
2: find the Quantitative and qualitative data for cubes.
3. find the volume using a cm ruler (go out to the tenths) of the 3 cubes. (LxWxH)
4: Find The mass of 3 cubes on a electric balance go out to the hundredths.
5: divide Mass Divided by volume to find the density of each cube.
6. Get marble.
7. get qualitative and quantitative data for marble.
8. find the volume of marble by filling up a graduated cylinder and dropping the marble in it then
measure how much water was displaced.
9. Find mass by electric balance.
10. Divide Mass Divided by volume to find the density if the marble
11. repeat steps 7, 8, 9 ,10 for the following items: rubber stopper and hex nut

Data:
Materials section

Material

Styrofoam
Wood
Ice

Mass (kg)

Calculated
Volume (L) Density
(kg/L)

Does it
Float?

0.75 kg

5.00 L

0.15 kg/L

Yes

2.00 kg

5.00 L

0.40 kg/L

Yes

4.60 kg

5.00 L

0.92 kg/L

Yes

10.00 kg

5.00 L

2.00 kg/L

No

Accepte
d
Density
(kg/L)
*from
the
chart
0.15
kg/L
0.40
kg/L
0.92
kg/L
2.00

Brick
Aluminum

13.50 kg

5.00 L

2.70 kg/L

kg/L
c

No

Same Mass Section

Material

5.00 L

Density
(kg/L)
1.00 kg/L

Does it
Float?
No (Flink)

5.00

10.00 L

0.50 kg/L

Yes

5.00

2.50 L

2.00 kg/L

No

5.00

1.25 L

4.00 kg/L

No

Mass (kg)

Volume (L)

6.00 kg

5.00 L

Density
(kg/L)
1.20 kg/L

Does it
Float?
No

8.00 kg

5.00 L

1.60 kg/L

No

4.00 kg

5.00 L

0.80 kg/L

Yes

2.00 kg
Red
Same Density Section:

5.00 L

0.40 kg/L

Yes

Material

Mass (kg)

Volume (L)

3.00 kg

3.75 L

Density
(kg/L)
0.80 kg/L

Does it
Float?
Yes

4.00 kg

5.00 L

0.80 kg/L

Yes

2.00 kg

2.50 L

0.80 kg/L

Yes

1.00 kg
Red
Mystery section

1.25 L

0.80 kg/L

Yes

Blue
Yellow
Green
Red

Mass (kg)

Volume (L)

5.00

Same Volume Section

Material
Blue
Yellow
Green

Blue
Yellow
Green

Material

Mass (kg)

Volume (L)

Density
(kg/L)

Does it
Float?

Using
the
show
table
determi
ne the

A
B
C
D
E

65.14 kg

3.38 L

19.27 kg/L

No

substan
ce
Gold

0.64 kg

1.00 L

0.64 kg/L

Yes

Apple

4.08 kg

5.83 L

0.70 kg/L

Yes

Gasoline

3.10 kg

3.38 L

0.92 kg/L

Yes

Ice

3.53 kg

1.00 L

3.53 kg/L

Yes

Diamon
d

Online questions:
Was your calculated density the same as the accepted density for each
object? (The density is shown on the bottom line of the chart in the top
left corner) Yes.
What would be the source of error for incorrect density? A lot of decimals
in the volume or mass category/lack of precison.
From the Custom section describe the difference between how
Styrofoam and ice floated. Also explain why you think this is the case?
With the Styrofoam, it floated on the very top of the water, where most of it was
out of the water. With the ice, only the very top broke the surface of the water
while the rest was submerged.

From the Same Mass Section discuss what was interesting about the
blue objects behavior in the water. It would stay in the exact spot wherever
you placed it UNDERWATER but if you placed it above water it wouldnt float.
From the Mystery Section, click on the Show Table button. What is
the most dense object on the list? Write its density as well. Gold, 19.3
kg/L

What is the precision that each measurement could be measured to?

Calculating it on your own, the hundredths. Using the accepted densities, the
tenths.
Research Archimedes Principle and describe how it relates to this
lesson. It says Archimedes' principle indicates that the upward buoyant force that is
exerted on a body immersed in a fluid, whether fully or partially submerged, is equal to the
weight of the fluid that the body displace. This means that whatever the mass of the liquid
displaced is equal to the body displaced. In this experiment, some objects floated so to find
the real volume fully submerge them to get their real volume.

Candy bar questions:

float
sink