WHAT IS DENSITY AND HOW IS IT
MEASURED?
BY
Mr. ABRAHAM FUNCHESS
JOHN FORD MIDDLE SCHOOL
Saint Matthews, SC
803.655.7222
OUR DIRECTOR
Whiz kids, staff, parents, and stakeholders of Calhoun County Public Schools
salute you, Dr. Jane Zenger, USC Pathways Project Director, for including us as
Pathway partners in a plethora of challenging inquiry-based activities.
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INTRODUCTION
• WHICH DO YOU THINK IS HEAVIER, A KILOGRAM
OF COTTON OR A KILOGRAM OF IRON?
• ANS: THEY BOTH WEIGH THE SAME.
• HOWEVER, A KILOGRAM OF COTTON TAKES UP A
GREATER AMOUNT OF SPACE OR VOLUME.
• A KILOGRAM OF IRON TAKES UP LESS SPACE
BECAUSE IRON HAS A MUCH GREATER DENSITY
THAN COTTON.
• SUBSTANCES LIKE IRON ARE HEAVY FOR THEIR
VOLUME AND ARE CALLED DENSE SUBSTANCES.
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SC STANDARD 6-1
• USE APPROPRIATE TOOLS AND
INSTRUMENTS (INCLUDING A SPRING
SCALE, BEAM BALANCE, GRADUATED
CYLINDER), SAFELY AND ACCURATELY WHEN
CONDUCTING A CONTROLLED SCIENTIFIC
INVESTIGATION.
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TOOLS PURCHASED THROUGH USC
PATHWAY PROJECT
Platform Balances/Graduated Cylinders
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES MASTERED
• STUDENTS DEFINED DENSITY.
• STUDENT EXPLAINED HOW TO FIND THE DENSITY.
• STUDENTS COMPUTED THE DENSITY OF REGULAR
AND IRREGULAR OBJECTS.
• STUDENTS USED DENSITY TO EXPLAIN WHY ONE
SUBSTANCE FLOATS ON TOP OF ANOTHER.
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FACTS OF DENSITY EXPLORED
• DENSITY IS A PHYSICAL PROPERTY OF MATTER.
• EVERY KIND OF MATTER HAS A DENSITY THAT CAN BE
MEASURED.
• THE DENSITY OF A PURE SUBSTANCE IS ALWAYS THE
SAME.
• DENSITY DOES NOT DEPEND ON SIZE OR SHAPE OF
THE SUBSTANCE.
• DENSITY CAN BE USED TO HELP IDENTIFY DIFFERENT
KINDS OF MATTER.
• IF YOU KNOW THE DENSITY OF A SUBSTANCE, YOU
CAN IDENTIFY IT.
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KEY TERMS TO KNOW
• DENSITY IS THE MASS PER UNIT VOLUME OF
AN OBJECT.
• MASS IS THE AMOUNT OF MATTER THAT AN
OBJECT HAS.
• VOLUME IS THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT AN
OBJECT OCCUPIES.
• GRAM IS THE BASIC UNIT OF MASS IN THE
METRIC UNIT.
• CENTIMETER IS A UNIT OF MEASUREMENT IN
THE METRIC SYSTEM.
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DENSITY OF A REGULAR OBJECT
• YOU CAN FIND THE DENSITY OF A REGULAR OBJECT
IF YOU KNOW ITS MASS AND VOLUME.
• YOU CAN USE A BALANCE TO FIND THE MASS OF A
REGULAR OBJECT.
• ONE CAN FIND THE VOLUME OF A REGULAR OBJECT
BY MULTIPLYING ITS LENGTH BY ITS WIDTH BY ITS
HEIGHT.
• NEXT, DIVIDE THE MASS OF THE OBJECT BY ITS
VOLUME TO FIND ITS DENSITY.
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SOLUTION
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
DENSITY = MASS
VOLUME
D=M
V
D = 34.5 g
122.5 cm3
D = .282 g/cm3
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VOLUME = L x W x H
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AN ALUMINUM BAR OF VOLUME 100 cm3 HAS A
MASS OF 270 g.
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CALCULATION
• DENSITY = MASS ÷ VOLUME
• DENSITY = 270 g ÷ 100 cm³
• DENSITY = 2.7 g/cm³
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CHECKING CONCEPTS
1. DENSITY IS THE ____ PER UNIT VOLUME OF
A SUBSTANCE.
2. THE UNITS OF _____ ARE EXPRESSED IN
GRAMS PER CUBIC CENTIMETER.
3. WHAT MEASUREMENTS MUST BE KNOWN
IN ORDER TO FIND THE DENSITY OF A
SUBSTANCE?
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ANSWERS
1. MASS
2. DENSITY
3. MASS AND VOLUME
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PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
10 cm
2 cm
1. WHAT IS THE VOLUME OF THE BAR?
2. IF THE BAR HAS A MASS OF 500 g, WHAT IS THE
DENSITY?
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ANSWERS
1. 400 cm³
2. 500 g ÷ 400 cm³ = 1.25 g/cm³
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FIND THE DENSITY, IDENTIFY THE
SUBSTANCE
• BLOCK 1 _______________
• Mass = 79.4 grams
• Volume=29.8 cubic cm.
• BLOCK 2 _______________
• MASS= 25.4 grams
• VOLUME=29.8 cubic cm.
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FINDING THE DENSITY OF IRREGULAR
OBJECTS
USE THE WATER DISPLACEMENT METHOD TO FIND THE VOLUMN OF IRREGULAR
OBJECTS. MEASURE LIWUID VOLUMES CAREFULLY.
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Jaquan is concentrating on his density column that lines up
with density measurements of various liquids.
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Teacher Funchess and Dr. Zenger observe the techniques of Joseph, Jaquan,
Xavier and Richard used in measuring and weighing their blocks.
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Richard is observing liquids with varied densities jockeying for their
rightful positions.
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Messiah is observing liquids with varied densities jockeying for
their rightful positions.
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Dr. Zenger gives Henry a few pointers on reading a graduated cylinder.
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Christian is observing liquids with varied densities jockeying for
their rightful positions.
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Teacher, Abraham Funchess, gives a few tips to Brian on using a
platform balance
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Stepney’s calculations revealed that milk has a greater density than two
other liquids.
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Dr. Zenger looks over the shoulders of Brian and Stepney who are
using the water displacement method to find the density of their
rocks.
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GIRLS OF A SINGLE GENDER CLASS
GET INVOLVED TOO..
• Phyllis K. Carey
CEO
PC Solutions
C2 Educational Services,
shows Daneisha how
ultraviolet light effects
white beads during one of
her visits.
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GIRLS OF A SINGLE GENDER CLASS
GET INVOLVED TOO..
• Phyllis K. Carey
CEO
PC Solutions
C2 Educational Services,
demonstrates for
Rashandra and Hope how
white beads reacts to
ultraviolet light during
one of her visits.
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GIRLS OF A SINGLE GENDER CLASS
GET INVOLVED TOO..
• Phyllis K. Carey
CEO
PC Solutions
C2 Educational Services,
helps Shante, Kathleen
and Hope summarize the
results of an investigation
on the effect of ultraviolet
light on white beads.
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GIRLS OF A SINGLE GENDER CLASS
GET INVOLVED TOO..
• Phyllis K. Carey
CEO
PC Solutions
C2 Educational Services,
Hope, Shante, Kathleen
and Daneisha interpret
data recorded during an
investigation with
ultraviolet light on white
beads.
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BENEFITS OF PROJECT INCLUDE…….
• HAVING FUN WHILE LEARNING HOW TO FIND AND
CALCULATE DENSITY OF REGULAR AND IRREGULAR
OBJECTS…
• INCREASING MATH AND SCIENCE SKILLS NEEDED IN
THIS 21ST CENTURY..
• FOCUSING ON HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES
• LEARNING TO USE EQUIPMENTS THAT ARE PACT
TESTED…
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STUDENTS SPEAK OUT ABOUT PROJECT
MELNDA SAID, “WE LEARNED HOW TO MEASURE DIFFERENT OBJECTS.”
JESUS SAID, "IT WAS AN EXCITING PROJECT.”
DEVONTE SAID, ”I LEARNED WHY SOMETHINGS FLOAT AND OTHERS SINK.”
ABRAHAM SAID, “I HAD FUN MEASURING AND WEIGHING OBJECTS.”
KIjOHN SAID, “THIS PROJECT TAUGHT ME HOW TO DO THE WORK OF REAL SCIENTISTS.”
JOSEPH SAID, “IT HELPS ME ENJOY AND LEARN SCIENCE IN A FUN WAY.”
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PORTABILITY OF PROJECT
• EASY TO DO WITH LITTLE INITIATIVE, EVEN AMONG
ELEMENTARY STUDENTS….
• A “MUST DO PROJECT” IN ANY COMMUNITY SCHOOL..
• MATH PROCESS SKILLS CAN BE USE IN ALL ACADEMIC
DISCIPLINES ..
• DENSITY CENTERS COULD BE SET UP IN ALL CLASSES WITH
ONE OR TWO BALANCES AND RULERS AS NEEDED TO
REINFOCE CONCEPT..
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HELPFUL RESOURCES
• “BUOYANCY”
• “MASS VOLUME AND DENSITY”
• “MEASURING MATTER”
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HELPFUL LINKS…
• http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?
mid=37
• http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/120Adensity.ht
ml
• http://www.hazelwood.k12.mo.us/~grichert/explore/dswmed
ia/density.htm
• http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/density.htm
• http://www.zyra.org.uk/density.htm
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WHETHER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT…..
• EGGS FLOATING OR SINKING IN
WATER
• COLUMNS OF LIQUIDS
SUSPENDED ABOVE EACH
OTHER
• THE AGE OLD QUESTION OF
“WHICH IS HEAVIER, A
KILOGRAM OF GOLD OR A
KILOGRAM OF FEATHERS?”
•THE CONCEPT OF DENSITY HAS ALWAYS FACINATED MEN AND IS ONE
PROPERTY SCIENTISTS USE TO
IDENTIFY OBJECTS.
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THANK YOU DR ZENGER AND THE “USC
PATHWAY PROJECT”
•“YOU HAVE EMPOWED US WITH THE TOOLS
NEEDED TO COMPLETE A CHALLENGING HANDSON ACTIVITY.”
WHIZ KIDS OF JOHN FORD MIDDLE SCHOOL GENERAL SCIENCE
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