G9 Elite Science Lab Assessment

Density
Purpose: To determine the density and the mass/volume relationship of a substance.

Background information:
Density is the ratio of the mass of a sample to its volume. Mass is the amount of matter of a particular
sample, measured in units of grams. The units may be expressed in other factors of ten according to the SI
standard (kilogram, milligram, etc.). Volume is the space occupied by the matter in question, measured in
units of liters and SI factors of ten (milliliters etc.). Typical units of density are grams per milliliter and
kilograms per liter, as both ratios represent water’s density with a value of one.

If a sample is composed of a homogeneous mixture or substance, the density of the sample may be used to
identify the type of matter. Density is not dependent on the quantity of matter contained in the sample; it
is a ratio held constant when the temperature of a sample and pressure around the sample are held
constant. Density can provide valuable insight in sample analysis when knowledge about the densities of
materials is known.

All measurements are subject to error, which contributes to the uncertainty of the result. Two important terms
related to error are measured value and true value. The measured value is the value given by a measuring
instrument and the true value is the actual value of the property being measured. Therefore, an error in a
measurement is simply any difference between the measurement value and the true value.

Therefore, every measurement has a degree of uncertainty associated with it. The uncertainty derives from the
measuring device and from the skill of the person doing the measuring. Say you need to measure 7 mL of water.
You could use a beaker, marked in 5 mL increments. With the beaker, you could easily obtain a volume
between 5 and 10 mL, probably close to 7 mL, give or take 1 mL. If you used a buret marked to 0.1 mL, you
could get a volume between 6.99 and 7.01 mL reliably. You would report your measurement using the
appropriate number of significant figures. These include all the digits you know for certain plus the last digit,
which contains some uncertainty and must be estimated.

Pre-Lab Questions (5 points)

1. Define density of a substance. (1 point)
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2. What two factors must be held constant for density to be a constant ratio? (1 point)
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3. How does density affect sinking and floating in water? (1 point)

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4. Explain error and how it can impact your results from an experiment. (2 points)
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Procedure
Part 1: (20 points)
Copy the link below into your browser
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/leveson/core/graphics/density/density_sim3.html

1. On the left side of the screen under Mineral, select #12.

2. Next to the mineral selection is the initial graduated cylinder. Record the Volume of the Water (Volume
initial, Vi) in Table 1. (NOTE: make sure to estimate one additional decimal place. All
measurements MUST have 2 decimal places)

3. Click “Immerse the Mineral” near the center of the screen.

4. On the right-hand side of the screen, the final graduated cylinder will appear with the mineral immersed
in the water. Record the Volume of Water and the Object (volume final, Vf) in Table 1.

5. Calculate the Volume of the Object and record it in the table.

6. Click “Weigh the Mineral” near the center of the screen. Record the weight in Table 1.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 for ALL the minerals in Table 1.

8. Calculate density and record it in Table 1for each of the minerals. (Make sure to use the correct
significant figures)

Table 1 (20 points)

Mineral Volume of Volume of Water Volume of Mass (g) Density
Water (mL) & Object (mL) Object (mL)
[Vi] [Vf] [Vf -Vi]
Mineral # 12 Click or tap here Click or tap here to Click or tap here Click or tap here Click or tap here to
to enter text. enter text. to enter text. to enter text. enter text.
Mineral # 6 Click or tap here Click or tap here to Click or tap here Click or tap here Click or tap here to
to enter text. enter text. to enter text. to enter text. enter text.
Mineral # 9 Click or tap here Click or tap here to Click or tap here Click or tap here Click or tap here to
to enter text. enter text. to enter text. to enter text. enter text.
Mineral # 21 Click or tap here Click or tap here to Click or tap here Click or tap here Click or tap here to
to enter text. enter text. to enter text. to enter text. enter text.
Mineral # 13 Click or tap here Click or tap here to Click or tap here Click or tap here Click or tap here to
to enter text. enter text. to enter text. to enter text. enter text.
Mineral # 24 Click or tap here Click or tap here to Click or tap here Click or tap here Click or tap here to
to enter text. enter text. to enter text. to enter text. enter text.
Mineral # 19 Click or tap here Click or tap here to Click or tap here Click or tap here Click or tap here to
to enter text. enter text. to enter text. to enter text. enter text.
Mineral # 113 Click or tap here Click or tap here to Click or tap here Click or tap here Click or tap here to
to enter text. enter text. to enter text. to enter text. enter text.
Mineral # 112 Click or tap here Click or tap here to Click or tap here Click or tap here Click or tap here to
to enter text. enter text. to enter text. to enter text. enter text.

Part 2: (12 points)

Analyze the data from Table 1.
 1. Create bar graph(s) showing the results of the densities for each of the minerals tested. (A screenshot of
a hand drawn graph is acceptable) Note: Make sure to include axis labels, axis numbers, and graph title.
(12 points)

Part 3: (13 points)

Answer the following questions relating to density.

1. A chemistry class is asked to calculate the density of lead. The following data was gathered from each of
the four lab groups. The accepted value for the density of lead is 11.3 g/cm3. Answer the following
questions regarding the results. (Remember: 1 cm3 = 1 mL)

a. Are the calculated density values for the class precise? Are they accurate? Justify your answer.
(2 points)
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b. Calculate the percent error for each group. (Note: | | represents positive value only) (4 points)

Group Percent Error

A Click or tap here to enter text.
B Click or tap here to enter text.
C Click or tap here to enter text.
D Click or tap here to enter text.

2. The image below is referred to as a density column. It is a collection of nine different liquids that have
different enough densities that they form separate layers.
 a. Arrange the following substances in order from most dense to least dense: soda cap, popcorn
kernel, cherry tomato, beads, and bolt. (1 point)
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b. Which item below, if added to the density column, would settle, and stay right in the green dyed
water layer? Justify your answer. (2 points)
 Charcoal = 0.56 g/mL
 Glass = 1.40 g/mL
 Paperclip = 1.00 g/mL
 Thumbtack = 1.9 g/mL
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3. Ethanol has a density of 0.800 g/mL. 

a. What is the mass of 125 mL of ethanol? (1 point)
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4. The cup is a volume widely used by cooks in the UAE. One cup is equivalent to 225 mL.
a. If 1 cup of olive oil has a mass of 216 g, what is the density of olive oil in kg/mL? (1 point)
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b. Convert the density from part A to kg/mL. Write your answer in scientific notation. (1 point)
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5. What would you expect to happen if the cup of olive oil in question 4a is poured into a container of
ethanol from question 3? Why? (1 point)
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Total Score

❑ ❑
50 Points 100 %