Determination of Densities

Pinion, Jahziel D.
Repil, Thea B.
Bachelor of Science in Biology Major in Medical Biology
College of Science and Computer Studies
De La Salle University-Dasmarinas
Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines

ABSTRACT
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Density determination is demonstrated thru the measurement of density of materials and reagents to see
if it is consistently or regularly shaped solid, irregularly-shaped solid and also liquid. The precise density
of materials and reagents were obtained using the mass and volume of the substances. Significant
figures were used in measuring the weight and volume of the substances. The purpose of
having several types of liquid was to establish an in-depth understanding of the different
densities of each liquid. Moreover, various applications on methods to obtain the density
of regularly-shape and irregularly shaped solid were done. I n regularly shaped solid, the use of
metric ruler and beam balance was applied, while in irregularly shaped solid, the use of water
displacement method was applied. Densities determinations of different substances were done to
obtain specific data relative to different substances.
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INTRODUCTION
The field of chemistry is highly scientific as it deals with observation or examination of changes in
matter or different substances as well as measurement of those changes. As a matter of
fact, chemical principles in general cannot be fully grasped conceptually in the absence of
data and appropriately examining quantitative data. D ata collection, data analysis, and
measurement are vital parts of chemistry.
A smart way of comparing two different substances is to compare their densities. Density
is u s e d t o d i f f e r e n t i a t e s u b s t a n c e s . A s d e f i n e d , d e n s i t y i s t h e a m o u n t o f m a t t e r
s u c h a s m a s s occupying a unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is . Density is
commonly expressed in g/ml for liquids, g/cm for solids and g/L for gasses. Likewise, it depicts the
characteristics property of the material.

By properly measuring the mass and the volume of two substances, their densities can be calculated as
follows: Density = Mass/Volume. Beam balance is use to measure mass of the solid or liquid substances.
Basically, the volume of the liquid samples may be taken from a graduated cylinder. For the
regularly shaped solids like a cube or a rectangular solid, their volume can be measured
using the formula V=S and V=lwh respectively. S refers to the length of one of the sides of
the cube while l, w, and h refer to the length, width, and height of the cube or rectangular solid.
Obtaining the volumes of the irregularly shaped solids, water displacement method may be used. The
irregularly shaped solid is dip in water and the volume of water that changes will be measured. The
changes in the volume of the water will serve as the volume of the irregularly shaped solids.
MATERIALS
Watch glass
10 mL graduated cylinder
100 mL graduated cylinder
Beam balance
Metric ruler
Yarn
Block of wood
Pebbles
Liquid samples (isopropyl alcohol, coconut oil, water & unknown liquid sample)

METHODOLOGY

During part one of the experiment we were measuring the density of water. First of all, we measured the
weight of an empty 100mL graduated cylinder with the use of a triple beam balance. After noting down the
weight of the empty graduated cylinder in grams we added 50mL of water in the 100mL graduated
cylinder and measured the cylinder once again on the triple beam balance. Now that we have the mass of
the empty graduated cylinder and the mass of the graduated cylinder with water, we can now solve for the
mass of water alone. To solve for the mass of water, subtract the mass of the empty graduated cylinder
from the mass of the graduated cylinder with water.

Now we have the masses of the empty graduated cylinder, graduated cylinder with water and the mass of
water. Since we know that the volume of the water that we put in the graduated cylinder is 50mL. We can
solve for the density of water by dividing the mass of the water by its volume. There is also a given known
density of water at 30C which is 1.00 g/mL which will be used in solving for the percentage error.

Now we repeated the same steps while searching for the density of isopropyl alcohol, coconut oil and the
unknown liquid sample that was kerosene. There are some differences though; instead of using an empty
100mL graduated cylinder we used a 10mL-graduated cylinder. The volume of the liquid to be added was
also changed to 5.00 mL instead of 50mL.

In the second part of the experiment we were searching for the densities of solids. When measuring
regularly shaped solids we used a rectangular solid. First, we measured the rectangular solid on a triple
beam balance before recording the mass of the object in grams. Second, we measured the length, width
and height of the solid in cm. We used these measurements to solve for the volume of the rectangular
solid by multiplying all three of the measurements. Then, we can finally compute the density of the object
by dividing the objects mass in grams by its volume in cubic centimeters.

When determining the density of a spherical solid we needed to find the spherical solids diameter. We
started by wrapping the yarn around the spherical solid once. After marking the point where they meet
again, we used the metric ruler to measure the length we marked on the yarn in centimeters. The
measurement represents the circumference of the sphere; we can now use this to determine the radius of
the object. By substituting the circumference in the formula C = 2r we can solve for the radius and
eventually the diameter. With the use of the beam balance we measured the mass of the spherical solid
to the nearest tenth of a gram.

While we were determining the densities of irregularly shaped solids we used pebbles as our object. First,
we weighed a clean dry watch glass with a beam balance and noted down the weight in grams. Then we
placed a handful of pebbles onto the watch glass and weighed them together on the beam balance. Then
we subtracted the two masses in order to determine the pebbles mass.

We filled 100 mL graduated cylinder with 30 mL of water, which served as our initial volume. After
immersing the pebbles into the 30mL of water we noted the final volume. To find the volume of the
pebbles we subtracted the initial volume from the final volume. Now that we have the mass and volume of
the pebbles we substituted them into the formula to solve for its density.

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

Table 1. Shows the results from the liquid sample, water.

Mass of dry, empty cylinder
Mass of cylinder and water
Mass of water
Volume of water

94.5 g
147 g
52.9 g
50.0 mL

Experimental density of water

Known density of water at 30C
Percentage Error

1.06 g/mL
1.00g/mL
6.00 %

Table 2. Shows the results from the liquid sample, isopropyl alcohol.
Mass of dry, empty cylinder
Mass of cylinder and isopropyl alcohol
Mass of isopropyl alcohol
Volume of isopropyl alcohol
Experimental density of isopropyl alcohol
Known density of isopropyl alcohol at 30C
Percentage Error

26.1 g
30.0 g
3.90 g
5.00 g
0.780 g/mL
0.790 g/mL
1.27 %

Table 3. Shows the results from the liquid sample, coconut oil.
Mass of dry, empty cylinder
Mass of cylinder and coconut oil
Mass of coconut oil
Volume of coconut oil
Experimental density of coconut oil
Known density of coconut oil at 30C
Percentage Error

26.1 g
30.5 g
4.40 g
5.00 g
0.880 g/mL
0.900 g/mL
2.22 %

Table 4. Shows the results from the liquid sample, kerosene.

Mass of dry, empty cylinder
Mass of cylinder and liquid sample
Mass of liquid sample
Volume of liquid sample
Experimental density of liquid sample
Identity of liquid sample
Known density of liquid sample
Percentage Error

26.1 g
30.0 g
3.90 g
5.00 g
0.780 g/mL
Kerosene
0.810 g/mL
3.70 %

Table 5. Shows the results from the regularly shaped solid (rectangular solid).
Mass of solid
Length
Width
Height
Volume
Density

68.9 g
126 cm
61.0 cm
18.0 cm
138 cm
4.98 x 10-4 g/cm

Table 6. Shows the results from the regularly shaped solid (spherical solid).
Mass of Solid
Diameter
Volume

5.40 g
17.2 cm
26.6 x 102 cm

2.03 x 10-3 g/cm

Density

Table 7. Shows the results from the irregularly shaped object (pebbles).
Mass of empty watch glass
Mass of watch glass and pebbles
Mass of pebbles
Initial volume of water in cylinder
Final volume of water in cylinder
Volume of pebbles
Density of pebbles

31.1 g
56.8 g
25.7 g
30.0 mL
39.0 mL
9.00 mL
2.82 g/mL

In Table 1 the given known density of water is 1.00 g/mL. From the measurements taken, the
experimental density of the water was determined to be 1.06 g/mL. Using the percentage error formula,
its shown that the measurement was inaccurate by 6.00%. Table 2 shows that the known density of
isopropyl alcohol is 0.790 g/mL. After determining the mass and volume of the isopropyl alcohol, the
experimental density of isopropyl alcohol was found to be 0.780 g/mL with a percentage error of 1.27%.

Coconut oil has a known density of 0.900 g/mL as shown in Table 3. The results of the experiment
illustrate that the experimental density of coconut oil was 0.880 g/mL with a percentage error of 2.22%.
Table 4 shows that kerosene has a known density of 0.810 g/mL, while the outcome of the experimental
density is 0.780 with a percentage error of 3.70%.

Tables 5-7 show the results of the experiment pertaining the density of solids. Table 5 shows that the
determined density of the rectangular solid was 4.98 x 10 -4 g/cm. Table 6 on the other hand shows the
density of the spherical solid object, which was 2.03 x 10 -3 g/cm. The density of the pebbles (irregularly
shaped object) is shown in Table 7 as 2.82 g/mL.

The experiment also shows that people can determine the density of irregularly shaped objects with the
method of water displacement. After measuring the mass of the irregularly shaped object, fill a graduated
cylinder with a certain initial volume before putting the irregularly shaped object inside. The volume will
then increase with the new object and water displacement occurs. The initial volume will then be
subtracted from the new final volume in order to find the volume of the irregularly shaped object. With the
mass and volume, use them to solve for the density of the irregularly shaped object.

REFERENCES
Figueroa, Samonte. 2007.General Chemistry Laboratory Manual 3rd Edition.