How to Find Density
Determine the object's mass., Determine the object's volume., Divide the object's mass by its volume.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine the object's mass.
An object's mass, simply put, is how much stuff it contains.
You can find the mass by weighing the object with a balance or spring scale.
If the object is to be held in a container while being weighed, such as a liquid or powder in a graduated cylinder, the container must first be weighed empty so that its mass can be determined and subtracted from that of the object inside the container. -
Step 2: Determine the object's volume.
An object's volume is how much space it takes up.
Volume can be determined in one of several ways, depending on the object:
If the object is solid with regular dimensions, measure its length, width and height (or length and diameter if cylindrical) and calculate its volume mathematically depending the shape of the object.
There are different formula for finding the volume of a rectangle, a cylinder, a pyramid, and so on.
If the object is solid and non-porous with no regular dimensions, such as a jagged rock, you can determine its volume by immersing it in water and measuring the volume of water it displaces. (Under Archimedes' principle, an object displaces a volume of liquid equal to its own volume.) If the object is a liquid or powder, place it in a graduated cylinder and read the mark to which the substance fills the container. (If the substance is a liquid, read the mark at the lowest point of the curve the top of the liquid forms.) , This value is the object's density and expresses it in units of mass per unit of volume.
For example, for a 20-gram mass that takes up a volume of 5 cubic centimeters, the density is 4 grams per cubic centimeter. -
Step 3: Divide the object's mass by its volume.
Detailed Guide
An object's mass, simply put, is how much stuff it contains.
You can find the mass by weighing the object with a balance or spring scale.
If the object is to be held in a container while being weighed, such as a liquid or powder in a graduated cylinder, the container must first be weighed empty so that its mass can be determined and subtracted from that of the object inside the container.
An object's volume is how much space it takes up.
Volume can be determined in one of several ways, depending on the object:
If the object is solid with regular dimensions, measure its length, width and height (or length and diameter if cylindrical) and calculate its volume mathematically depending the shape of the object.
There are different formula for finding the volume of a rectangle, a cylinder, a pyramid, and so on.
If the object is solid and non-porous with no regular dimensions, such as a jagged rock, you can determine its volume by immersing it in water and measuring the volume of water it displaces. (Under Archimedes' principle, an object displaces a volume of liquid equal to its own volume.) If the object is a liquid or powder, place it in a graduated cylinder and read the mark to which the substance fills the container. (If the substance is a liquid, read the mark at the lowest point of the curve the top of the liquid forms.) , This value is the object's density and expresses it in units of mass per unit of volume.
For example, for a 20-gram mass that takes up a volume of 5 cubic centimeters, the density is 4 grams per cubic centimeter.
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Rachel King
Committed to making organization accessible and understandable for everyone.
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