Formal Report Grade:

Group No: Group 4 Date Performed: June 19, 2008

Subject/Section: CHEM110L/HUB22 Date Submitted: June 25, 2008
Instructor: OBIAS, MA. JEANNETTE

Names Signatures
Group Leader: CORTES, KEVIN F. ____________
Group Members: ALMANZOR, AUDREY ROSE B. ____________
HUERTO, CHRYSMEISES D. ____________
KIM, TAEHYEONG ____________

Experiment No. 1
DETERMINATION OF DENSITIES

I. OBJECTIVES
1. To determine the densities of some solids and liquids
2. To apply the rules of significant figures in measuring the weight and
volume of substances.
II. DATA AND RESULTS
1. Densities of liquids

1.1 Water
Mass of dry, empty cylinder 96 g
Mass of cylinder and water 146 g
Mass of water 50 g
Volume of water 50 mL
Experimental density of water 1 g/mL
Known density of water at 30 o C 1 g/mL
Percentage error 0%

1.2 Isopropyl Alcohol

Mass of dry, empty cylinder 25.8 g
Mass of cylinder and isopropyl alcohol 29.8 g
Mass of isopropyl alcohol 4g
Volume of isopropyl alcohol 5 mL
Experimental density of isopropyl alcohol 0.8 g/mL
Known density of isopropyl alcohol at 30 o C 0.79 g/mL
Percentage error 1.27 %

1.3 Coconut Oil

Mass of dry, empty cylinder 25.8 g
Mass of cylinder and coconut oil 30.3 g
Mass of coconut oil 4.5 g
Volume of coconut oil 5 mL
Experimental density of coconut oil 0.90 g/mL
Known density of coconut oil at 30o C 0.90 g/mL
 Percentage error 0%

1.3 Unknown liquid sample

Mass of dry, empty cylinder 25.8 g
Mass of cylinder and liquid sample 29.9 g
Mass of liquid sample 4.1 g
Volume of liquid sample 5 mL
Experimental density of liquid sample 0.82 g/mL
Identity of liquid sample Thinner
Known density of liquid sample at 30o C 0.81 g/mL
Percentage error 1.23 %

2. Densities of Solids
2.1. Density of Regularly-Shaped Solids

2.1.1 Rectangular Solid

Mass of solid 62.5 g
Length 12.4 cm
Width 1.7 cm
Height 5.8 cm
Volume 127.26 cm3
Density 0.51 g/cm3

2.1.2 Spherical Solid

Mass of solid 5.9 g
Diameter 1.76 cm
Volume 22.84 cm3
Density 0.26 g/cm3

2.2 Density of Irregularly-Shaped Solids

2.2 Pebble
Mass of empty watch glass 29.8 g
Mass of watch glass and pebbles 32.9 g
Mass of pebbles 3.1 g
Initial volume of water in cylinder 30 mL
Final volume of water in cylinder 31 mL
Volume of pebbles 1 mL
Density of pebbles 3.1 g/mL

III. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

This experiment has let the students determine the density of some
solids and liquids. The density of each object can be acquired by dividing the
mass by the volume of the object.
 d=m/v

Where: d = density
m = mass
v = volume

In determining the density of the liquids, used in this experiment

namely: water, isopropyl alcohol, coconut oil and an unknown liquid sample,
the students got first the mass of the dry empty graduated cylinder, before
pouring into the graduated cylinder the liquids which were to be used in this
experiment, by using a triple beam balance. After the mass of the dry and
empty cylinder has been measured, the liquids which will be used will now be
poured one at a time, after determining the density of each one, into the
graduated cylinder before we would look for the mass of the cylinder along
with the liquid inside it to get the mass of the liquid by using again a triple
beam balance. The mass of the liquid can be acquired by subtracting the mass
of the dry and empty cylinder from the mass of the cylinder with the liquid
inside it..

Ex. In getting the mass of the water given the following data below
Mass of dry, empty cylinder 96 g
Mass of cylinder and water 146 g
In solving for the mass of the water it would turn out that water has a
mass of 50 g from the solution: 146 g – 96 g = 50 g

Since, all of the liquids used in this experiment were measured out to
be 5 mL, except for water in which 50 mL was used, the students were able to
compute for the density of the liquids by dividing the mass of the liquid by its
volume.

Ex. The density of coconut oil is computed by using the data below
Mass of coconut oil 4.5 g
Volume of coconut oil 5 mL

To get the density of the coconut oil we would divide 4.5 g by 5 mL to

get the value of 0.9 g/mL from the solution: 4.5 g / 5 mL = 0.9 g/mL

In getting the density of solids the students first classified which

among the solids were regularly-shaped and which among the solids were
irregularly-shaped. The volume of some solids can be determined with the use
of a ruler and some are determined by using the displacement method. The
mass of the regularly-shaped solids can be acquired by placing the specific
solid on a triple beam balance while the mass of irregularly shaped solids can
be attained with the use of a watch glass. The mass of the empty watch glass
was gotten first by placing it on a triple beam balance. After reading the mass
of the empty watch glass, the irregularly-shaped solid used in this experiment
was placed on the empty watch glass after which it was placed on a triple
beam balance so as to be able to get the mass of the watch glass along with the
irregularly-shaped solid. Then, to get the mass of that solid the students
subtracted the mass of the empty watch glass from the mass of the watch glass
with the irregularly-shaped solid on it.

Ex. The mass of the pebble can be attained based on the data below.
Mass of empty watch glass 29.8 g
Mass of watch glass and pebbles 32.9 g

From the given data one could come up with an answer of 3.1 g from
the solution: 32.9 g – 29.8g = 3.1 g

As the students finished classifying the solids whether they are

regularly-shaped or irregularly-shaped, those solids that are regularly-shaped
were divided again into rectangular and spherical solid so that the volume can
be easily solved.

The students used a ruler to determine the volume of the rectangular

solid by measuring its length, width and height. After measuring the length,
width and height of the object the volume can be attained by multiplying the
length, width and the height of the rectangular solid.

v=lxwxh

Where: v = volume of the rectangular solid

l = length of the rectangular solid
w = width of the rectangular solid
h = height of the rectangular solid

Ex. The volume of a block of wood can be computed based on the data
below.
Length 12.4 cm
Width 1.7 cm
Height 5.8 cm

By solving these given data the volume of the block of wood would
turn out to be 127.26 cm3 from the solution: 12.4 cm x 1.7 cm x 5.8 cm =
127.26 cm3

For spherical solids the students used a string in which it was wrapped
around the object to measure its circumference. Then, by using the formula c
= 2 x π x r (where in c is the circumference, π is pi which is equals to 3.1416
and r is the radius) the students solved for the value of r. After getting the
radius, the radius is now multiplied by 2 to get the diameter of the solid. The
 volume of the spherical solid was attained by using the formula v = 4/3 x π x
r3.

In determining the volume of irregularly-shaped solids, the students

placed 30 mL of water in a graduated cylinder to get the initial volume of
water in the cylinder. Then, the object is placed gently into the cylinder so as
to get the final volume of the water in the cylinder. Based on the data now
collected the volume of the object can now be computed by subtracting the
initial volume of water in the cylinder from the final volume of water in the
cylinder.

Ex. The volume of the pebble can be attained from the following data.
Initial volume of water in cylinder 30 mL
Final volume of water in cylinder 31 mL

From the given data above the answer would arrive up into 1 mL from
the solution: 31 mL – 30 mL = 1 mL

As the students have collected the mass and the volume of each solid
the density of the object can now already be computed.

As the students calculated the densities of the solids and the liquids
there might be some percentage error that they may have committed while
doing the experiment for the liquids. The percentage error can be obtained by
subtracting the known density of the liquid at 30o C from the experimental
density; this can be gotten from the results one has acquired in doing the
experiment.
IV. CONCLUSION
Through this experiment we learned on how to compute for the
densities of the given solids and liquids using the formula. We were able to
determine the densities of the solids and liquids in the experiment. We also
applied the rules of the significant figures in measuring the weight and volume
of the substance so that it would be easier for them to read. Therefore, the
objectives that were stated before performing this activity are achieved.
V. ANSWERS TO GUIDE QUESTIONS
The density of an object can be computed by measuring the mass and
volume of the object. However, in the case of irregularly shaped solids the
volume of the object can’t be measured by the use of the ruler. Water
displacement should be used in determining the volume of irregularly shaped
solids. By doing this we can now solve for the volume of the object and later
on we can compute for its density by dividing the mass by the volume of the
solid.
If a solid has the mass of 50.2 g and has the volume of 5 mL we can
compute for its density by dividing the mass by the volume of the object to get
an answer of 10.04 g/mL. 10.04 g/mL is the density of the solid. Expressing
 this answer by a correct number of significant figures would give us a final
answer of 10 g/mL.
VI. REFERENCES
1. Samonte, J. and Figueroa L. General Chemistry Laboratory Manual 3rd
Edition. Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc., 2007.
2. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (internet website). At
http://www.wikipedia.org/