Measuring density lab experiment

When scientists talk about how much something weighs, they usually talk about its mass rather than its weight. Scientifically, you should use the word weight only when talking about the force gravity exerts on a particular object. So density is not the weight bust the mass of 1 cubic centimeter of the substance. Water, for instance, has a density of 1 gram per cubic centimeter. Gases are very light and have low densities - water is almost 1,000 times as dense as air. Most solids, however, are much denser than water. Gold, for example, is almost 20 times as dense as water.

A block of iron weighs more than a block of wood the same size, iron is said to be denser than wood. Every substance has its own density, which is how much a certain amount of it weighs. This experiment shows how to work out the density of different solid. 

Thins you will need:

1. A plastic bottle

2. A measuring cup

3. A knife

4. A scale

5. Some graph papers

6. A plastic tube


Instruction

1. Cut the top off a plastic bottle, make a hole a little way down, and fix the tube in with modeling clay, making the seal as watertight as you can

2. Put a container under the spout, and fill the bottle with water until it pours out of the spout. Now select the object to be measured

3. Place an empty measuring cup under the spout, and immerse the object fully in the bottle. Note how much water spills into the cup.

4. Take the object from the water, dry it, and weigh it. To calculate the density, divide the weight by the volume of water in the cup.

5. Your project should look similar to the picture below when done.


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