Name ______________________________ Class ___________________ Date __________________
Inquiry Lab
Changes in Density
MATERIALS
For each group
• bottle, plastic, with cap, 2L
• dropper with rubber bulb
• water
PROCEDURE
Fill an empty, 2 L plastic bottle with water. Fill a medicine dropper halfway with
water, and place it in the bottle. The dropper should float with part of the rubber
bulb above the surface of the water. (If the dropper floats too high, remove it and
add more water. If it sinks, try less water.) Place the cap tightly on the bottle, and
gently squeeze the bottle. Watch the water level inside the dropper as you squeeze
and release the bottle. Try to make the dropper rise, sink, or stop at any level.
QUESTIONS TO GET YOU STARTED
1. How do changes inside the dropper affect its position in the water?
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2. What is the relationship between the dropper’s density and the dropper’s
position in the water?
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3. How could a submarine use changes in density to move up and down?
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Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Holt Science Spectrum
29
States of Matter