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Food Science 10



Unit 1: The Food Science Lab


Lab #3: Relationship between Mass and Volume
October 2015

Name: Karis Katekovit

Nickname: Cliff

Introduction: There is a relationship between the mass and the volume of an object of a specific material. The mass can be
determined using an electric balance to record its weight in grams. The volume of an object can be determined by
calculating the amount of water displaced in a graduated cylinder when the object is placed into water. By determining the
mass and volume of an object of a specific material, you can find its density. In this lab experiment you will be discovering
how to determine the density of an object using graphs and mathematical equations, instead of simply searching for the
formula for density on the internet.

Purpose: To see how mass and volume are related to determine density by experimental data. To demonstrate how graphs
can connect ideas from Science and Math.
Materials:
Electronic Balance
50-mL Graduated Cylinder
4 Sample of the Same Material (3 Materials)
Water
Ruler
Procedure:
1. Obtain three different types of material for your group. Each material has 4 sample sizes.
2. Find the mass of each of the sample sizes. Record in your data table.
3. Find the volume of each of the sample sizes by determining the amount of water displaced by the object.
a. Set up a graduated cylinder and put 25 mL of water into it. Read the volume and write it down.
b. Tip the graduated cylinder and gently slide one of the objects into it. DO NOT allow water to splash out.
c. If the object floats, gently push it down with a pencil, until it is submerged under the water. Do not push too hard.
d. Record the new volume of the water. Subtract the volume of the water from the combined volume of the water
and object together. The result is the volume of the object. Record in your data table.
Data Table:



Type of Material

Title: Finding the mass and volume of different things

Smallest Sample

Small Sample

Medium Sample

Large Sample

Mass(g) Volume(cm3) Mass(g) Volume(cm3) Mass(g) Volume(cm3) Mass(g) Volume(cm3)

Poly propylene

4.31 5

7.08 7

9.66 9

12.41 12

Poly Vinyl chloride

6.61 5

10.85 8

15.12 11

19.80 15

Acrylic

5.47 4.5

8.95 7.9

12.41 10.5

15.96 13

Mass (g)

Graph #1 Title: __Poly propylene_____________________________________________________________________

0 5 10 15 20
Volume (mL)




Graph #2 Title: ____Propy Vinyl chloride______________________________________________________________

0 5 10 15 20
Volume (mL)




Graph #3 Title: _______Acrylic_____________________________________________________________________

0 5 10 15 20
Volume (mL)


Discussion (Analyzing Results) Questions:
1. Find the slope of the graphed line from the data for the first material ___Poly Propylene______. Follow these steps:
a. Mark two points on the line, and label them A and B. The points should be on the line and far apart. Try to
choose points that will make it easy to read the volume and mass measurements.
b. Point A corresponds to a volume of ______2________, and a mass of _______2_________.
Point B corresponds to a volume of ______12.6_______, and a mass of _____13_________.
c. Use your answers from part b above to calculate the rise and run:
Rise = _______12.6___________ minus _______2__________ = _______10.6_________.
Run = _________13_________ minus _________2________ = _________11_______.
(Did you remember to include the units of measurement in your work above?)
d. Now calculate the slope:
Slope = rise divided by run = _________0.96__________.
2. Find the slope of the graphed line from the data for the second material __Poly Vinyl chloride____. Follow these steps:
a. Mark two points on the line, and label them A and B. The points should be on the line and far apart. Try to
choose points that will make it easy to read the volume and mass measurements.
b. Point A corresponds to a volume of ____6_______, and a mass of ______8_________.
Point B corresponds to a volume of _____15________, and a mass of ______20__________.
c. Use your answers from part b above to calculate the rise and run:
Rise = ________15___________ minus _____6____________ = ________9_________.
Run = ________20__________ minus ______8___________ = _________12________.
(Did you remember to include the units of measurement in your work above?)
d. Now calculate the slope:
Slope = rise divided by run = _____1.33______________.
3. Find the slope of the graphed line from the data for the third material ____Acrylic______. Follow these steps:
a. Mark two points on the line, and label them A and B. The points should be on the line and far apart. Try to
choose points that will make it easy to read the volume and mass measurements.
b. Point A corresponds to a volume of ________5______, and a mass of ________6________.
Point B corresponds to a volume of _______15______, and a mass of _______18________.
c. Use your answers from part b above to calculate the rise and run:
Rise = _______15___________ minus ________5_________ = _______10_________.
Run = _______18_________ minus __________6_______ = ________12________.
(Did you remember to include the units of measurement in your work above?)
d. Now calculate the slope:
Slope = rise divided by run = _____0.8333______________.
Note: All parts of a straight line have the same, constant slope. When a mathematical constant is discovered as the
result of scientific experiments, it is often given a name. The slope you have just calculated is called the density of that
material.
4. In your answers to question 1, the rise corresponds to ____Mass_____ of the material, while the run corresponds to
the ___Volume_____ of the material. This leads to the formula for density, which is __Mass/Volume_______.
5. Research the actual density for each of your materials. Determine your accuracy.
The first material I got Poly Propylene which the actual density was 0.90 and I got 0.96. I was 0.06 points away so, I
would be accurate.
The second material I got poly Vinyl Chloride which the density was 1.37 and I got 1.33. I was 0.04 points away so , I
would be accurate.
The last material I got Acrylic which the density was 1.17 and I got 0.8333. I was pretty far on this one. I was about 0.34
away, so I would still be pretty accurate but kind of far.
Conclusion:
I learnt that accurate and precision is different from each other. I learnt about Mass is the measurement of matter and
volume is how much the object or matter that takes up space and Density is gram per unit area. Thus, the more density it
has the harder the object gets.