Density

 Density is mass divided by volume…

 Density is the relationship between mass and volume…

density = m / V

 Density is constant for a given temperature and

pressure.

 Density is usually expressed in units of g/cm3…

 Densities for liquids are often given as g/mL.
Why Look at Density?

 Practice with extensive and intensive properties.

 Practice with measurement.

 Practice with units.

 Practice with precision.

 Practice with significant figures.

 Practice with error analysis.

Practice with Properties

 Density shows how two extensive properties can

be related to yield an intensive property…
 Density is the relationship between mass and volume…

density = m / V

 Mass and volume are extensive properties…

 Extensive properties depend on the amount of
material present.
 Density is an intensive property…
 Intensive properties depend only on the identity of
the material present.
Practice with Measurement

 The measurements needed are simple and

common…

 Mass is measured using a balance.

 Volume is measured either by using a graduated

cylinder or pycnometer, or by measuring the
dimensions of a regular object.
 Direct measurement
 Indirect measurement (Archimedes)
Practice with Units

 The units of density are derived from the units

of mass and volume…

 Derived units are common in measurement systems…

 They allow relationships between primary units to
be readily discerned.

 If density has units of g/cm3, then the formula for

density must be mass (g) / volume (cm3)
Practice with Precision

 The measuring tools used allow measurements

to be made with differing levels of precision…

 Triple beam balances are read to the nearest 0.01 g.

 Analytical balances are read to the nearest 0.0001 g.

 50 mL cylinders can be read to the nearest 0.1 mL.

 The precision of a pycnometer depends upon how it is

calibrated.
Practice with Significant Figures

 The calculations result in differing numbers of

significant figures…

 Triple beam balances and graduated cylinders will yield

fewer significant figures than analytical balances and
pycnometers.

 Measuring the density of the same substance by

different means may yield differing numbers of
signifcant figures in the result.

 Calculators are not our friends…

The Trouble with Calculators

 Two sets of density measurements…

Mass  Volume  Density Calculator 

(g) (mL)  (g/mL) (g/mL)
3.14285714285
22.00 7.00 3.14 7142857142857
1428571…

214.40 107.2 2.000 2

 Excel does this, too.

Practice with Error

 Percent error…
 The percentage by which an experimental result differs
from the true value…

(exptl. value - true value)

% error =  100 %
true value

(13 in. - 12 in.)

% error =  100 % = 8.3 %
12 in.

 Note – If negative, drop the sign.

Pre-Lab Questions

1. If the mass of a liquid sample is 23.85 grams and its

volume is 19.7 mL, what is the density of the liquid in
g/mL?

2. A sheet of weighing paper weighs 1.23 grams. When

some pieces of metal are placed on the weighing paper,
the total weight of paper and metal is 94.77 grams. The
metal is then added to a graduated cylinder that
contains 15.0 cm3 of water, resulting in the water level
being raised to 25.4 cm3. What is the density of the
metal in g/cm3?
Pre-Lab Questions

3. Suppose the book value for the density of the metal in

Question #2 is 8.78 g/cm3. What is the percent error for
the experimental result in Question #2?
Lab Work - General

 Make sure everything is dry!

 Rinse items with a little acetone if necessary, and allow
them to dry. Pour the used acetone into a beaker. It
can be reused.
 Drying can be speeded up by carefully using
compressed air .

 Be sure to estimate the last digit on your

readings, and watch your significant figures.
Lab Work – Using Volumetricware

 The meniscus should be at

eye level when taking
readings (parallax).

 Use a
background
for easier
readings.
Lab Work – Precision

 Parts 5A, 5B, and 5C will be performed using

graduated cylinders and triple-beam balances…
 Masses on the triple-beam balance should be read to
the nearest 0.01 g.
 Volumes on the graduated cylinder should be read to
the nearest 0.1 mL.

 Parts A and B will be performed using

pycnometers and analytical balances…
 Masses on the analytical balance should be read to the
nearest 0.0001 g.
 Volumes for the pycnometer will depend on the
significant figures from the calibration.
Lab Work – 5A

 Part A – determine the density of a known and

an unknown liquid…
 Weigh the graduated cylinder on the triple-beam
balance to the nearest 0.01 g.
 Add the known liquid to it and record the volume to
the nearest 0.1 mL.
 Weigh the graduated cylinder and the liquid on the
triple beam balance to the nearest 0.01 g.
 Calculate the density and % error for the known versus
the true value (1.489 g/mL).
 Repeat for one of the unknowns.
Lab Work – 5B

 Part B – There is more than one way to measure

the volume of a regular solid…

 Use a container when weighing the metal (weighing by

difference), such as a beaker or weighing boat.

 Volume Method 1 – Use a Vernier caliper to measure

the height and diameter of the metal cylinder (not the
graduated cylinder).
 Calculate the volume using the formula for the
volume of a cylinder. Use that to calculate the
density.
Lab Work – 5B (continued)

 Volume Method 2 – Determine the volume of the metal

cylinder by displacement…

 Add water to a graduated cylinder and record the

volume.

 Add (carefully!) the metal cylinder to the graduated

cylinder, and record the new volume.

 The difference between the two is the volume of the

metal cylinder.
Lab Work – 5C

 Part C – Use displacement to measure the

density of an irregular solid…
 Add water to a graduated cylinder and record the
volume.

 Weigh the graduated cylinder and water on the triple-

beam.

 Add at least 50 g of pellets to the graduated cylinder,

and record the new volume. Make sure the pellets are
dry before adding.

 When done, put the pellets on drying pads in the hood.

Lab Work – A

 Calibrate the pycnometer…

 Weigh the pycnometer on an analytical balance to the

nearest 0.0001 g.

 Fill the pycnometer with water (completely), and

reweigh.

 Calculate the volume of the pycnometer using the

mass of water and the density of water…
 The instructor will provide the density figure to use.

 Use the appropriate number of significant figures

Lab Work – A

 A - determine the density of an unknown

liquid…

 Drain and dry the pycnometer.

 Fill the pycnometer with the unknown liquid

(completely), and weigh.

 Calculate the density from the volume of the

pycnometer and the mass of the liquid.
Lab Work – B

 B - determine the density of an unknown

metal…
 Drain and dry the pycnometer.

 Fill the pycnometer halfway (at least 50 g of pellets)

with the unknown metal, and weigh.

 Fill the pycnometer with water (completely), agitate to

remove air bubbles, and reweigh.

 Use the density of water to determine the volume of

water in the pycnometer. Subtract that from the total
volume to get the volume of the metal.