Measuring Density

Name: Sabrina Sainte

Lab Partners: Benigheon Bonner, Nancy Bian
Due Date: February 11th, 2015
Introduction
Elements are ordered on the periodic table by their increasing
mass and atomic numbers, and organized into rows according to their
orbital and energy levels. However, going across columns, elements
found in the same group have similar physical and chemical properties.
All elements fit within three general element groups, each with distinct
characteristics. The elements to the left of the periodic table are
metals, as they give off heat and electricity easily, are solid in nature,
have shiny textures, and tend to be more reactive. The second
category of elements are nonmetals found on the far right of the
periodic table and typically gain electrons during reactions, do not
conduct heat and electric charge well, and tend to have a dry and
harsh physical appearance. The last group of elements is called
metalloids, which are placed in between the metal elements and the
nonmetals, after the transition elements. Metalloids possess qualities
that are a cross between metals and nonmetals: they can both release
and retain heat, can either have a shiny, smooth texture or be harsh

like metals, and lastly, some metalloids can easily conduct heat, while
others can not.
The purpose of this experiment was to test the four, elements,
magnesium, sulfur, silicon, and aluminum, provided in the lab with a
reactant, hydrochloric acid, in order to classify each element as a
metal, metalloid, or nonmetal. After observing each elements
chemical reactions, our group wrote definitions of the three element
groups based on the observed qualities of the elements and how they
reacted with hydrochloric acid.

Methods & Materials

Materials
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1
0

1
2
3

Scissors
One 12 in. Ruler
Three 10 x 10 cm pieces
of Blank Computer Paper
Tin
Silicon
Third Lead
Electronic Balance
25 mL of water
Gradulated Cylinder
Calculator

Methods
Gathered a blank sheet of computer paper, a pair of scissors
and a 12 ruler to neatly cut out 10 by 10 cm cards
Labeled first card Tin, second card Silicon, and third card
Third Lead
Measured mass of each paper card using an electronic
balance

4
5
5
6
7
8
9
1
0

Added sample of the element Tin onto its respective card,

labeled tin and determined its mass with electronic
balance
Repeated step 4 for silicon and third lead
Recorded data in table and calculated the density of each
element using the density formula (density =
mass/volume)
Gathered a graduated cylinder and filled with 25 mL of
water
Placed the element tin into gradulated cylinder and recorded
its density
Removed element from cylinder, and repeated step 7 for
silicon and third lead
Recorded gathered information in table
Calculated the density of the three elements in water and
out of water using the density formula

Results & Data

Conclusion
After completing the experiment, our group labeled the tested
elements as meals, metalloids, or nonmetals, according to their

respective locations on the periodic table and their chemical reactions.

Our definitions of the individuals element groups were that (1) metals
are elements that are highly reactive, readily accept electrons in a
chemical reaction, and have a small number of valence electrons; (2)
metalloids are elements that can either have a smooth or hard texture,
give off heat, and accept electrons from certain other elements; and
(3) nonmetals tend to not react very easily, may have a dull
appearance, and generally do not have significant reactions when in
contact with other elements. The first element tested was aluminum,
which is located in the thirteenth column of the periodic table, making
it a metalloid. Initially, a few minutes after first adding the hydrochloric
acid, the aluminum had no visible change. However, after five to ten
minutes, the liquid in the test tube changed from being clear to having
a greyish blue color and proceeded to have a rapid, violent reaction.
The next element, sulfur, being in the sixteenth column was identified
as a halogen, a subgroup of metals, and also did not have an
immediate reaction after hydrochloric acid was added to the tube. The
third element tested was silicon, a nonmetal placed in the periodic
tables fourteenth column. Like sulfur, the element just sat at the
bottom of the tube after adding the reactant. Lastly, the final element,
magnesium, is an alkaline earth metal found on the second column of
the periodic table, which is why it is the most reactive compared to the
other elements used in the experiment.