Name: _______________________________________ Date: ____________________ Period: _____________
The Density Lab
Safety goggles must be worn when working with glassware.
Lab Safety:
Problem: You have a candy bar, a wooden cube, a metal cube, and a marble. Which item is most dense?
Hypothesis: If I measure the density of the items, then the _________________ will be the most dense
because _________________________________________________________________________________.
Materials:
Candy Bar
Wooden Block
Ruler
Calculator
Triple Beam Balance or Digital Scale
Metal Block
Marble
Graduated Cylinder
Water
Procedure:
Measuring Mass: Practice reading the triple beam balance below.
Mass Calculations:
Total Mass: _______________________ g
1. Use the triple beam balance or the digital scale at your lab station to measure the mass of each object to
the nearest tenth of a gram. Record your measurements in the data table.
Measuring Volume: We can measure volume using 2 methods. For REGULAR objects we use the volume
formula. For IRREGULAR objects we use volume by displacement. Here are practice problems for both ways.
For a REGULAR object- A cube: you will use the volume formula for a cube
V=lxwxh
You would first measure the length, width, and height for the cube. Then multiply.
L = 5; W = 5; H = 5
Show your work and complete the calculation for volume here:
For an IRREGULAR object- Volume by displacement: you will use the graduated cylinder to calculate the
volume of the item. To measure volume by displacement, complete the following steps:
1. Fill the graduated cylinder with water and record your starting amount.
2. Drop the item in the graduated cylinder.
3. Record the new volume of the water.
4. Subtract the starting volume from the new volume.
Complete these practice problems:
2. Measure the volume of your items, complete your calculations, and record the volume of each object in
your data table. I have included a space within the data table for you to write out your work.
3. Clean up your lab area. Make sure all equipment is clean and in its proper place and everything is left nice
and neat.
4. Calculate the density of each object. Use the formula
You MUST show your math work for all
density calculations (even if you are using a calculator). I have provided a space for you to show your work
within the data table.
5. Graph your density results on the graph grid provided. Be sure to include a title for your graph, a title for
each axis, and label your bars. Please color your bar graph. Each item should be a different color.
6. Answer all conclusion questions.
Item
Mass
Volume
Volume formula
Density
Density formula
Volume calculations
Density calculations
Candy bar
Wooden block
Volume = _____________ Density = _____________
Volume formula
Density formula
Volume calculations
Metal block
Volume = _____________ Density = _____________
Volume formula
Density formula
Volume calculations
Marble
Density calculations
Density calculations
Volume = _____________ Density = _____________
Original Volume
Density formula
_______________ ml
New Volume
_______________ ml
Density calculations
Volume Calculation
Volume = _____________ Density = _____________
BAR GRAPH
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Conclusion Questions:
1. Was your hypothesis supported? Explain.
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2. The density of water is 1.0 g/cm^3. Objects that have a density less than 1 will float in water. Will any of
the items you tested float in water? Give supporting data to back up your answer.
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3. You find a piece of gold rock outside while on a hike. You are curious if the gold is real. If you know that
the density of pure gold is 19.3 g/cm^3 describe a lab experiment you could perform to determine if the rock
you found is real gold.
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**Please make sure your lab is complete before turning it in**