WISE 2007-2008
Name: _________________________________
Density Column
What is density?
We will be working with many different liquids. Each of
the liquids has a different, characteristic density. One way
to think about density is how thick or heavy an object is.
The liquids with lighter densities will float. The liquids
with heavier densities will drop to the bottom. You may
have noticed that sometimes, liquids mix together – this is
because the chemicals dissolve in each other. During our
experiment, the liquids will stay separate because we will
add the liquids in order of decreasing density! As long as
the materials do not mix or react, the less dense materials
will float on top of the more dense ones. This lab will
create colorful, layered rows.
Smallest Density
Largest Density
Density can be calculated! Density values are often used in scientific calculations!
Density
=
Mass
Volume
Mass is related to weight, or how heavy something is, and Volume is how much space the
liquid takes up. Density is simply the mass of a substance divided by its volume!
Procedure
We will use six different liquids (with added food coloring), in cups labeled by letter:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Vegetable oil
Dishwashing liquid
Dark Karo syrup
Water
Glycerine
Rubbing alcohol
Since all of the liquids are in containers of equal volume, you can put the liquids in order
of increasing density by their weight. Pick up each container; which one feels the
heaviest? The lightest? Place the cups in order from heaviest to lightest. This is your
hypothesis of decreasing density of the liquids. Fill in the chart on the next page.
When you are finished, go to the WISE officers and pick up an answer sheet to check
your hypothesis. This sheet is the order in which the liquids are to be added to the
graduated cylinder. Remove the tags from the cups to reveal the densities of the six
liquids.
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WISE 2007-2008
Liquid Letter
Name: _________________________________
Liquid Name
Liquid Weight
Heaviest
…
…
…
…
Lightest
Liquid Density
Most dense
DO NOT pour
along the sides!
Pour along sides
of the cylinder
Pour along sides
of the cylinder
Pour along sides
of the cylinder
Pour along sides
of the cylinder
Least dense
Now you are ready to add your liquids to the graduated cylinder! Add them according to
the order in your chart. Pour the most dense first, avoiding the sides of the graduated
cylinder. The remaining liquids are to be poured along the sides to avoid mixing.
You should have a colorful band of liquids! Now, we can compare the densities of the
liquids to the densities of solids! You can test the relative densities of the solids provided
based on where they land in the container when dropped (gently). Your station should
have five different solids:
Solid
Hypothesis: Density Rank
(most dense is #1)
Density Rank after test
Lead pellet
Rubber stopper
Oak
Cork
Candle wax
Pick up each of the solids. Discuss the density of each item at the table. Rank the items
from the greatest density to the lowest density. In the chart above, label each solid #1 to
#5, with #1 being the most dense. Hypothesize as to what will happen to the solid when
added to the density column. Where will your solid float? What does this tell you about
its density? Now carefully drop each of the solids into the density column, from the most
dense to the least dense. Was your hypothesis correct?
Fill In The Blank
If a solid floats on top of all of the liquids, it is the most / least (circle one) dense.
If a solid drops to the bottom, it is the most / least (circle one) dense.
What do you think about solids that stay suspended in the middle?
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WISE 2007-2008
Name: _________________________________
When you are completely finished, here are the
calculated densities of the materials used:
Are the liquids in your graduated cylinder in this order?
Densities: (from top to bottom; units = g/mL)
1. Cork – 0.2
2. Alcohol – 0.79
3. Oak – 0.8
4. Vegetable oil – 0.9
5. Water – 1.0
6. Dishwashing liquid – 1.03
7. Rubber – 1.2
8. Glycerine – 1.26
9. Dark Karo syrup – 1.37
10. Lead – 11.9
When you are completely finished, here are the
calculated densities of the materials used:
Are the liquids in your graduated cylinder in this order?
Densities: (from top to bottom; units = g/mL)
1. Cork – 0.2
2. Alcohol – 0.79
3. Oak – 0.8
4. Vegetable oil – 0.9
5. Water – 1.0
6. Dishwashing liquid – 1.03
7. Rubber – 1.2
8. Glycerine – 1.26
9. Dark Karo syrup – 1.37
10. Lead – 11.9
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