FORCES AND ENERGY

DENSITY
Objectives
i. Discover what is meant by density
ii. Find out how to calculate density
iii. Compare the densities of solids, liquids and gases
iv. Understand and predict whether objects will float or sink in water

Density
Mass of a unit volume of a material substance
Expressed in g/cm3 or kg/m3

Mass and volume.

People have an assumption that materials such as rocks or metals are heavier than objects
such as feathers and polystyrene. This is not always true. A very large block of polystyrene
may have a larger mass than a small piece of metal.

Food containers are made from polystyrene. They feel very light because they have a large
volume and a smaller mass. The containers are hollow which means they have space filled
with air inside them.
Nails are made from iron. They feel heavy because they have high mass and small volume.
They are solid which means they have no space with air inside.

The word density is used to differentiate the difference.