Density Study Guide 2011
Name: ____________________________________ Period: ___
Study guide due date: ______________ Test date: ___________
This study guide must be completed on a SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER for credit. It will not be accepted late for credit.
Preparation for Written Exam (Thursday, October 13th)
MVD4: Explain how density is a characteristic property used to identify substances.
1. Samuel finds a chain lying on the ground by the bus stop. He can’t tell if it’s made of real gold or platinum, or
maybe just fake materials. He measures its mass, volume, and then calculates its density. Which measurement
should he use to determine the true identity of the necklace? Explain.
Samuel should use the DENSITY to determine the true identity of the necklace, since density is a
characteristic property that can be used to identify substances. He can find the density, then look up
the densities of gold and platinum, and see which one matches that of his necklace.
MVD7: Describe or compare the density of one or more given substances based on behavior of the substances.
2. Dashyl has a gold block. Shyheem has two gold blocks. Write a sentence that compares the density of Dashyl’s
block compared with Shyheem’s two blocks.
Dashyl’s gold block has the exact same density as Shyheem’s gold block, because they are both made of
the same substance (gold).
3. What conclusion can we make after observing the density column pictured to
the left? Explain your answer!
a. Liquid A is the most dense liquid (Liquid E is the most dense)
b. Liquid D is the least dense liquid (Liquid D is neither the least nor most
dense)
c. Liquid B is more dense than Liquid A (This is TRUE: we know more dense
things will sink below less dense things, so since liquid B is below liquid A, it
must be more dense)
d. Liquid D is less dense than Liquid A (Liquid D is actually more dense than
Liquid A)
MVD6: Predict the behavior of one or more substances based on density.
4. Below is a list of densities. Write “F” if the object will float in water, “S” if it will sink, and “H” if it will hover.
8.76 g/mL _____S___
0.29 g/mL __F______
1.1 g/mL _____S____
0.45 g/mL_____F___
0.9 g/mL ___S______
Preparation for Lab Practical/Performance Assessment (Wednesday, October 12th)
MVD1: Define, measure, and use appropriate metric units for mass.
MVD2: Define, measure, and use appropriate metric units for volume.
5. Fill in this table after copying it onto a separate sheet of paper.
Measurement
Definition
Appropriate Metric
Units
Length, width, or height
Centimeters (cm)
Mass
The amount of matter
Grams (g)
in a substance or object
Volume
Density
How much space
something takes up
Ratio between mass
and volume, how much
matter is packed into a
certain amount of space
cm3 or mL
g/cm3 or g/mL
Tools used to measure
this data
ruler
Electronic balance or
electronic scale, triple
beam balance
Ruler, graduated
cylinder, or beaker
All of the above
6. A teacher has two pieces of copper. Piece A is about the size of a pencil and has a mass of 10 grams. Piece B is
the size of a football and has a mass of 2,500 grams.
a. Which object has a larger volume? Or are they both the same volume? Piece B has a larger volume. We
know this because it is the size of a football, and a football takes up more space than a pencil.
b. Which object has a larger density? Or are they both the same density? Although the pieces have
different masses, since the problem tells us that they are both made out of copper, they have the same
density. Anything that is made of copper will have the same density as anything else made of copper,
no matter what size.
c. The teacher puts these two objects in a tub of water. Would you expect them both to behave the same
way, or differently? Explain. Since they have the same density, they should behave in the same way.
We found the density of copper in our 2nd lab, and we know that copper sinks.
MVD3: Calculate and use appropriate metric units for density.
7. A box has a mass of 45g and each side is 3cm long. Find the density of the box, showing ALL of your work.
D=m/v
m=45g
v= l x w x h 3cm x 3cm x 3cm = 27 cm3
D = 45g/27 cm3 = 1.6666 1.7 g/ cm3
8. How would you find the density of the gift box shown below? Describe the process in detail.
First, I would find the mass by placing the box on an electronic balance (after I make sure it’s
calibrated to zero and set to grams). Then I would record the mass in grams (g). Then, I would
measure each side in centimeters with a ruler and multiply the length x width x height to get the
volume in cubic centimeters (cm3). Finally, to find the density, I would divide the mass by the
volume, and record the answer with g/ cm3 as my units.
MVD5: Identify an unknown substance using density as a characteristic property.
Substance
Aluminum
Iron
Copper
Lead
Gold
Mercury
Density in g/cm3 (at room temperature)
2.7
7.9
8.9
11.4
19.3
13.5
9. Alexandria is given a coin from a friend from a country far away. She wants to know what the coin is made out
of. The mass of the coin is 79 grams. Alexandria then takes a graduated cylinder with 12 mL of water in it. Upon
dropping in the coin, the water level goes up to 22 mL. Based on this information, and the information in the
table above, what is Alexandria’s coin made of? Show your work and include units!
D=m/v
m=79g
D = 79g/10 mL = 7.9 g/mL
v= Final volume – Initial volume = 22-12 = 10mL
Since density is a characteristic property, all I have to do is match up
the density I calculated with one of the densities from the list of
known densities. In this case, Alexandria’s coin is made of iron, which
has a density of 7.9 g/mL, just like the coin.
In summary, to prepare for next week’s exams, you need to be able to:
You need to be able to…
▢ Identify and use the correct tools for finding the mass of an object.
▢ Identify and use the correct tools for finding the volume of a regular shaped (cube) object.
▢ Identify and use the correct tools for finding the volume of an irregular object.
€ Use correct metric units for volume, mass, and density.
▢ Calculate the density of an object, after collecting the appropriate data OR based on given information.
▢ Explain why substances are layered in a density column according to their relative densities.
▢ Recognize that density of a substance remains constant (at the same temperature), regardless of the amount of
the substance.
▢ Identify a substance based on its density, using a table of given density values.
Documents to help you study…
▢ Density Packet
▢ Density homework assignments
□ Mass, volume, and density quiz
□This study guide!