Density Study Guide -2011
As you study, be sure to review the following:
Notebook pages p. 38-59
Density Powerpoint
Density Notes (handout)
Inquiry 2.1: Measuring the Mass and Volume of Water (Density of Water)
Inquiry 2.2: Comparing the Densities of Different Substances (Density of blocks of wax, plastic, and
aluminum)
Inquiry 2.3: Measuring the Densities of Irregular Objects (Density of nylon spacer, steel screw, and
copper cylinder)
Inquiry 3.1: Using Density to Make Predictions (Building a Density Column)
Inquiry 4.1: Density of Air
Mysterious Cylinders Lab Investigation
Camp Mason and Density Practice Problems
Constructing Models of Matter
Density Study Guide
1. What is the equation for density? What are units for density?
2. Find the density of a block that has a mass of 108 g and a volume of 100 cm3.
3. If an object has a density of 10 g/cm3 and a mass of 0.5 g, what is its volume?
4. If an object has a volume of 10 cm3 and a density of 11.4 g/cm3, what is its mass?
5. A solid block is 2 cm x 2.5 cm x 9 cm. How much water would it displace if you used the water
displacement method to determine its volume? Could you determine the object’s density? Why or why
not?
6. Corn syrup has a density of 1.5 g/mL. A 200 mL glass container filled with corn syrup has a mass of
330 g. What is the mass of the container alone?
7. How large a container would you need to hold 100 g of a liquid that has a density of 5 g/cm 3?
8. Why do some objects float in water, while others sink?
9. Explain why the density of water is 1 g/cm3?
10. The density of Substance #2 is greater than the density of Two Pan Balance
Substance #1.
a. If equal volumes of Substance #1 and Substance #2 were put on a two pan balance, which way
would it tip and why? Draw a picture of the balance with the substances on it.
b. If equal masses of Substance #1 and Substance #2 were put on the balance, which way would it
tip and why? Draw a picture of the balance with the substances on it.
11. Block #1 and Block #2 are both made of aluminum, but the volume of Block #1 is twice the volume of
Block #2. Which has the greater density? Explain.
12. Substance A and Substance B have the same volume, but the mass of B is half that of A. Which has the
greater density?
13. Draw a picture showing how the following substances layer when put in the same container? Their
densities are in parentheses.
corn syrup (1.5 g/cm3), mercury (13.5 g/cm3)
water (1.0 g/cm3), iron (7.87 g/cm3)
14. How does a graph of mass vs. volume help you determine the density of a substance? How does the
graph help you compare the densities of different substances?
15. Draw a picture of a block of copper and a block of wax with the same volume showing the matter
particles inside each.
16. Which would have more mass: a cube of wax with a volume of 4 cm3 or a cube of copper with a volume
of 4 cm3? Explain your answer and show any math you used.
17. Which would have more volume: a cube of wax with a mass of 5 grams or a cube of copper with a
mass of 5 grams? Explain your answer and show any math you used.
18. Graph the following data and calculate the slope of the line. What is the density of the material?
Mass (g) Volume (cm3)
11 4
19 7
27 10
38 14
Density Study Guide Answers
1. D = m/V, g/cm3 3. 0.5g / (10g/cm3 ) = 0.05 cm3
2. 108g / 100cm3 = 1.08 g/cm3 4. 11.4g/cm3 x 10cm3 = 114 g
5. The dimensions of the block are given. Multiply them together to get the volume = 45 cm 3. Because 1cm3 =
1mL, the object would displace (push out of the way) 45 mL of water when you place it in a graduated
cylinder of water. You cannot determine the object’s density because you do not know its mass.
6. You’re given the density (1.5g/mL) of the corn syrup. It also says that it fills a 200mL container; therefore its
volume is 200 mL. You can now solve for the mass of the corn syrup in the container by using the following
equation: M = D x V. The mass of the corn syrup is 300 g. If the mass of the container + the corn syrup =
330 g, then the mass of the container alone must be the difference: 330g – 300g = 30 g.
7. Mass is given, and density is given. V = m/D = 100 g / (5 g/cm3) = 20 cm 3.
8. Substances with densities less than water’s (1g/mL) will float.
9. 1 gram of water has a volume of 1 cm3. 1 cm3 of water has a mass of 1 gram.
D = m/V, therefore 1 gram/1mL = 1 g/mL. 1g/mL is equal to 1g/cm 3, since 1mL = 1cm3.
10. a. #2 would go down and #1 would go up on the balance.
b. the balance would be level because the same amount of matter (mass) would be on each side.
11. Since they are both made from the same substance they have the same density.
12. Plug in some real #’s for this one to see how it works out:
Substance A: Mass = 100g, Volume = 100mL; Substance B: 50g, Volume = 100mL
Density of A: 100g/100mL = 1g/mL; Density of Substance B: 50g/100mL = 0.5g/mL
Substance B’s density is half the density of Substance A because the mass of Substance B is half that of Substance A.
Therefore, Substance A has the greater density.
13. The order of liquids from top to bottom would be: water, corn syrup, mercury.
The iron would be at the bottom of the corn syrup layer, above the mercury.
Water
iron
Corn syrup
Mercury
14. The slope of the line on a mass vs. volume graph gives you the density of the substance. You can compare
the densities of different substances by comparing their slopes: A steeper line means a higher slope and
therefore a greater density. A flatter line means a lower slope and a lower density.
15.
Copper Wax
16. Since the copper is more dense, it would have more matter per cm3, so the copper would have more mass.
D (copper) = 8.9 g/cm3 m = D x V = 8.9 x 4 = 106.8 g
D (wax) = 0.9 g/cm3 m = D x V = 0.9 x 4 = 3.6 g
17. Since wax is less dense, the matter would be more spread out and take up more space, so the wax would have
greater volume.
V = m/D Wax: V = 5/0.9 = 5.55 cm3
Copper: V = 5/8.9 = 0.56 cm3
18. Slope = (y2-y1)/(x2-x1) = (38 -11) / (14-4) = 27/10 = 2.7 g/cm 3