DATE____________________ Name: _____________________________
STD-CODE: _____________________________
[Link]
Exploring Floating and Sinking
Learning Objectives:
1) Describe how the concept of density relates to an object's mass and volume.
2) Explain how objects of similar mass can have differing volume, and how objects of similar
volume can have differing mass.
3) Explain why changing an object's mass or volume does not affect its density (ie, understand
density as an intensive property).
4) Measure the volume of an object by observing the amount of fluid it displaces.
5) Identify an unknown material by calculating its density and comparing to a table of known
densities.
1. Play around with the sim. (5 min)
What can you do? What happens? Talk about what you find with your partner.
Select: Intro
2. Class Discussion: (5 min)
Write down your finding
Share all the things you found that you can do with the simulation.
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3. Exploring different materials and different sizes. (10 min)
3.1 Sink or float Check ✓
Material In water
sink float
sink float
sink float
sink float
sink float
3.2 Explore and fill mass and volume of the material in the table
Material Mass (kg) Volume (L) Mass/Volume (kg/L)
Brick 4.00
Brick 5.00
Wood 4.00
Wood 5.00
3.3 What about Mass/Volume of the Material?
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4. Use the simulation Select: Compare (15 min)
4.1 choose the Same Mass
B
A C
D
Fill the data that you get from simulation into the table
Material Mass (kg) Volume (L) Density (kg/L)
A 7.50
B 7.50
C 7.50
D 7.50
How do you know the volume?
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4.2 choose the Same Volume
A B C D
Fill the data that you get from simulation into the table
Material Mass (kg) Volume (L) Density (kg/L)
A 8.00
B 2.00
C 6.00
D 4.00
4.3 choose the Same Density
A B
C
D
Fill the data that you get from simulation into the table
Material Volume (L) Material Volume (L)
A C
B D
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5. Design your own block! (5min)
[Link]
Select: Intro --> Custom
Experiment with making your own block out of your own material with “Custom”.
5.1 What properties of the block can you change?
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5.2 What makes a block more likely to sink? How does this change the block’s density?
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5.3 What makes a block more likely to float? How does this change the block’s density?
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5.4 Try to create a block with a very HIGH density.
Do you think your block will sink or float? sink float Check ✓
What is your block’s volume? ___________ What is your block’s mass? ____________
5.5 Try to create a block with a very LOW density.
Do you think your block will sink or float? sink float Check ✓
What is your block’s volume? ___________ What is your block’s mass? ____________
6. Whole Class Discussion: Share what you discovered! (3min)
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7. Calculating Density (5min)
We can figure out the density of blocks using division if we know their volume and mass.
The equation is Density=Mass ÷ Volume. Let’s try this using the “Mystery”!
SET1
Object Mass (kg) Volume (L) Density (kg/L) Sink or Float? Check ✓ Material
1A sink float
1B sink float
1C sink float
1D sink float
1E sink float
SET2
Object Mass (kg) Volume (L) Density (kg/L) Sink or Float? Check ✓ Material
2A sink float
2B sink float
2C sink float
2D sink float
2E sink float
5
SET3
Object Mass (kg) Volume (L) Density (kg/L) Sink or Float? Check ✓ Material
3A sink float
3B sink float
3C sink float
3D sink float
3E sink float