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Comparing Densities Answers
Comparing Densities Answers
Comparing Densities
Use the information in the table to answer the following questions.
Liquids Solids
xxxxx Oak
Liquids Solids
Seawater Sugar/Salt
Glycerol Aluminum/Iron/Nickel
Mercury Copper/Lead/Gold
5. Write a conclusion about which physical state tends to be the most dense.
Solids tend to be the most dense because their particles are more closely packed
together.
7. You drop three things into a glass of water: a piece of StyrofoamTM, a piece of oak, and a gold ring.
(a) Which will float? Why?
The Styrofoam and Oak will float because their densities are less than the density
of water.
8. Which is denser:
(a) carbon dioxide or air? Carbon dioxide
(b) oxygen or air? Oxygen
(c) hydrogen or air? Hydrogen
9. You find a white granular substance in a jar in your cupboard. You suspect that it may be either
sugar or salt. How could you find out without tasting the substance?
To find out the identity of the substance, I would find its mass on a scale; measure
a specific volume in a measuring cup and them divid the mass by the volume
and compare it to the known densities of salt and sugar.
11. A student comes to the conclusion that solids are denser than liquids. Is this conclusion true?
Explain.
Yes, this is true but there are exceptions. Most solids will sink when placed in a
liquid because they have high densities. The particles of solids tend to be very
closely packed together, allowing for more particles to fit into a volume resulting in
high density.