LAB V.

DENSITY DETERMINATION

Density is defined as mass per unit volume or: D =

The usual units of density are g/mL, although sometimes it is written as g/cm3.

The video below shows a variety of calculation similar to those in lecture.

Perform the calculations below following similar steps as those we performed in lecture and
those on the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CKDQE35qXQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5Nphl1b8ys

 Would an object with a large mass and small volume sink or float? Sink
 Would an object with a small mass and large volume sink or float? Float

 What is the mass of a piece of aluminum if its density is 2.70 g/mL and its volume is 25
mL?
m g? m
D= 2.70g/mL= vD= × v  m= D × v
v 25 mL v
2.70 g
m= ×25 mL=67.5 g
mL

 What is the mass of a piece of zinc if its density is 7.13 g/mL and its volume is 30 mL?
m 7.13 g
D=  m= D× v m= ×30 mL=213.9 g
v mL
 What is the density of a piece of iron if its mass is 197 g and its volume is 25 mL?
m 197 g
D= = = 7.88g/mL
v 25 mL
 What would be the volume of a piece of iron if its mass is 300 g?
D= 7.88g/mL
m m
D=  v= =
v D
300 g
v= = 38.07mL
7.88 g /mL
 What is the volume of a piece of copper is its density is 8.96 g/cm3 and its mass is 25 g?
m 25 g
v= v= = 2.79cm³
D 8.96 g /c m 3
 A piece of gold is 2.5 g and has a density of 19.32 g/mL. What is its volume?
m m
D=  v=
v D
2.5 g
v= =0.129399 mL
19.32 g/mL
Density is determined by placing an object with a known mass (measured on a balance) in a
given amount of water. For example, putting a piece of metal that is 5 g into a volume of water
that is initially 10 mL.

The water’s apparent change in volume (say, it reads 20 mL after insertion of the metal) is the
metal’s volume. So for this hypothetical example, the metal’s volume would be 10 mL and its
density would be 5g/10 mL = 0.5 g/mL.

 List three potential sources or error that might occur when performing this type of
measurement (HUMAN ERROR IS TOO BROAD! Try to think about how seemingly
small mistakes would affect the calculations to determine density).

1. Environmental factors could fluctuate the experiment being done for example room
temperature; therefore measuring/calculating could cause error.
2. The types of instruments being used could also affect the measurements and calculations
could be off.
3. Lastly, if the object being measured isn’t totally dry there could also be some errors when
calculating.