Moore, Timothy
Moore, Timothy
Instructor: Mrs. Tammy Moore
Class: VHSG Online Chemistry
23 January, 2009
THE DENSITY OF LIQUIDS
Experiment 1.4
Exploring the density of liquids
Abstract
The densities of syrup, water, and oil were calculated. Then the substances were compared by mixing
the substances together and observing how they layered. A pattern could be seen between the calculated
densities and the order that they layered in.
Introduction
Density is a property of a substance. That means that each substance has a unique density. This
can be a particularly useful bit of knowledge when you do not know for sure what the substance is. You
can calculate its density and compare that value to known densities to determine its identity. In this lab,
my substances were known, but I wanted to work with lab-measured data to work with the density
equation instead of just working with an assigned density 'story-problem. The density equation is
D = m/V.
I also wanted to explore what the values mean as far as real world behavior of substances related to
density. Equations are very useful in science, but if they are disconnected from real world meaning, it is
merely math instead of science. Science seeks to explain the world and the math is merely a tool to do
it.
Methods and Observations
Materials

Graduated cylinder (or other measuring device that measures volume)
Moore, Timothy

Water

Table syrup

Vegetable oil

A large glass

Mass scale

pencil and paper (calculator would be helpful too)

A spoon
DENSITY BY LAB-GATHERED DATA CALCULATIONS:
I needed mass and volume data on my three substances to be able to computer the densities.
Mass - The graduated cylinder was placed on the scale and tared [if you do not have a way to
tare a scale, get the mass of the graduated cylinder and subtract it from each mass reading]. I then
added the substance into the graduated cylinder and noted both the mass and the volume. I washed and
dried the graduated cylinder and repeated the process with the other two substances.
To make it easier to organize my information, I used the following chart.
Mass (grams)
Volume (mL)
Density (g/mL)
Water
Syrup
Oil
Once my data was gathered I calculated the density of each substance and added that value to the chart.
MAKING REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONS:
Next, my goal was to be able to not only have numbers to compare, but also have some
experience with how the real substances behave with their differing densities. I combined each
substance in the large glass and stirred gently. I let the substances settle for about two minutes and
observed. I observed [enter your observations here and compare those observations to the densities you
Moore, Timothy
computed].
Conclusion
The relationship between the values for density and the behavior of the substances is [insert
your conclusion here]