Mass, Volume, and Density | Semester 1, Unit 2

Aaditya Kumar
LAB 2:
MASS, VOLUME, AND DENSITY
NOTE TO STUDENTS: This is a dry lab. You are only expected to perform the portions of this lab that do not require you
WITH EXTENSION
to use laboratory equipment or supplies. When appropriate, sample data may be supplied in the lab’s data tables to help
you answer the questions.

Goals Table 2.1

1. Determine volumes of several objects
Shape Formula Symbols
from their linear dimensions and by
displacement
V = volume
2. Determine the density of several Rectangular l = length
materials V = lwh
Solid w = width
h = height
Materials and Equipment

50 mL graduated cylinder V = volume

150 mL beaker π = 3.14…
V = πr2l
Aluminum bar, rectangular
Digital scale
Cylinder or r = radius
¼πd2l d = diameter
Goggles
Polyethylene (PE) rod l = length
Ruler
Steel (iron) bolt water does not tend to cling to plastic
Tape measure surfaces, there is little meniscus, and
therefore no need to adjust for it.
Materials Not Included In this experiment, we will put water
in a graduated cylinder and then place
Sodium chloride (table salt) an object in the cylinder. There must be
Stirring utensil enough water to cover the object. The
Water object will push aside, or displace, the water.
If the object is submerged, the volume of
Introduction the water displaced (pushed aside) is equal
to the volume of the object and the rise in
The volume of an object is the the water level will also equal the volume of
amount of space it occupies. We often use the object.
units of length to express volume. Objects There is a legend about Archimedes’
are three-dimensional (have length, width, discovery of displacement. The king
and height), and the volume is often suspected that his crown was gold-plated
expressed in cubic units. Two equations for silver rather than pure gold. Archimedes
calculating the volume of regular-shaped needed to find the volume of the crown
objects are given in Table 2.1. without damaging it. One day, he noticed
Liquids are often measured in liters. In that the water rose when he stepped into
this lab we will find the volume of liquids his bathtub. He was so excited to discover
by using a plastic graduated cylinder. Your displacement that he immediately jumped
lesson probably mentions a meniscus out of his tub and ran down the street
(curve on the surface of the liquid). Since yelling “eureka” (“I have found it”). Nothing
is said about his state of modesty.
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Density is defined as mass per unit of 5. Similar to what you did in Procedure
volume. Remember, per means “divided by.” step 4, find the volumes of all the other
The equation for density is: objects including the bolt. Does the PE
rod float? How can you find the volume
(Equation 2.1) m
ρ= __ of it by this method? Record your data
V
in Table 2.2.
where ρ is the density, m the mass, and V
the volume. This can be rearranged to give Part 2: The Density of Liquids
an equation to find mass:
6. Measure the mass of the graduated
(Equation 2.2) m = ρV cylinder using the digital scale. Carefully
fill the graduated cylinder with exactly
Procedure 50 mL of water and measure the mass
Part 1: The Density of Solids of the cylinder and the water. Find the
mass of the water by subtraction and
1. Use the digital scale to mass (weigh) the record this in Table 2.3 in the Questions
aluminum bar, PE rod, and steel bolt. To section.
do this, turn the scale on and make sure
the mode is in grams and the display 7. Put about 75 mL of water into a 150 mL
reads zero. Push the “M” or “Mode” beaker. Add about 5 cm3 (roughly one
button to set the scale in “Grams” and teaspoon) of sodium chloride (table salt)
the “T”, “Tear”, or “Zero” button to zero to the water. Stir the solution. Keep
the scale so it reads all zeros. One at a adding salt and stirring until no more
time, carefully put each object on the salt will dissolve in the water. You now
scale and record the measurements in have a saturated salt solution.
Table 2.2.
8. Use the method from Procedure step
2. Use the ruler to measure the dimensions 6 to find the mass of 50 mL of the salt
of the aluminum bar and the PE rod. solution. Record this in Table 2.3.
Estimate your measurements to the
nearest tenth of a centimeter. Record Note: You have been calculating the density of solid
the data in Table 2.2. materials, but fluids (liquids and gases) also have
densities. The density of air varies with temperature,
Note: Do not measure the dimensions of the bolt, as it humidity, and pressure, but it is approximately 1.0 kg/
is irregular in shape. m3. One interesting thing about air: dry air is denser
than humid air. This is because a molecule of water has
3. Calculate and record the volumes of less mass than the average mass of an air molecule.
these objects in cubic centimeters (cm3).
9. Measure the length, width, and height
4. We will also use the displacement of the room in which you are. Do this in
method to find the volumes of all the meters and record the measurements in
objects. Pour exactly 25 mL of water the space provided at the end of this lab,
into the graduated cylinder. Tip the in Questions 8-10.
cylinder (do not spill the water) and slide
the aluminum bar into the graduated 10. Calculate the volume of the room.
cylinder. Note the level of the water.
The increase in volume in the cylinder 11. Using the approximate density of air,
is due to the volume of the aluminum calculate the mass of air in this room.
bar. Find the volume of the bar by
subtraction and record this in Table 2.2. 12. Does the mass of air in this room
surprise you? Explain.
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 Mass, Volume, and Density
Aaditya Kumar
LAB 2
Questions for Mass, Volume, and Density
Table 2.2, The density of solids.
Dimensions, Calculated Displacement Density,
Material Mass, g
cm Vol., cm3 Vol., mL g/mL
Aluminum length = 9.7
15.52 40 - 25 = 15 2.79
(bar) 39 width = 1.6
height = 1.0

PE (rod) 21
diameter = 1.7
length = 10.5 23.82 48 - 25 = 23 0.93

Iron(bolt) 39 XXX XXX 31.9 - 25 = 6.9 5.65

Note: Vol. = volume. Since the bolt has an irregular shape, find its volume by displacement only.
1. Calculate the volumes of the samples used in Procedure step 2. Record the calculated
volumes in Table 2.2. Why could we not find the volume of the bolt by this method?

We could not calculate the bolt because it is not a cylinder shape and would
not work.

2. How did you find the volume of the PE rod using the displacement method?
Note: 1 cm3 = 1 mL.

Because PE floats, push the rod under the water with a very small object, such as a
pin, and volume of the pin is negligible and can be ignored.

Unable to do, doing DRY LAB

3. Except for the bolt, note the difference between the calculated volumes and the volume
found by the displacement method. Which method is more accurate? Why?

The calculated method is more accurate because it is more specific with the
numbers and gives decimal numbers.

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Apex Learning: Chemistry Labs
Aaditya Kumar
4. Use the volumes found by displacement to calculate the densities of the objects.
Record your data in Table 2.2.
Recorded in the 2.2 Table
5. The accepted values for density are: aluminum = 2.71 g/cm3; PE = about 0.925 g/cm3;
and iron = 7.87 g/cm3. Compare your values from Question 4 with these. How do they
compare? Why are they different? Note: the density of different kinds of PE and PVC vary because of
the difference in the arrangements of their molecules.

My Aluminum and PE density values are very similar with a slight difference. My
iron density value is 2.22 cm cubed off of the iron value given in this question.

Table 2.3, The density of liquids

Liquid Volume, mL Mass, g Density, g/mL

Water 50 77 - 27 = 50 1
Saturated Salt
83 - 27 = 56 1.12
Solution 50

6. Calculate the densities of the liquids in Table 2.3. The accepted density of water is 1 g/
cm3. How do your results compare? Remember that 1 cm3 = 1 mL.

My values are different when i calculate the density.

7. How does the density of water compare with the density of the saturated salt solution?
Is this what you would have predicted?

The density of the water is less than the density of the saturated salt solution. I
would not have predicted this.

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 Mass, Volume, and Density
Aaditya Kumar
8. Length of room ________
4.02 m

9. Width of room ________

3.37 m

10. Height of room ________

2.35 m

31.84 m3
11. Volume of room ________

12. Mass of air in room _______

50 kg

13. Are you surprised by the mass of air in the room? Explain.

Yes, i thought it would be much lower. I think it is higher because the air
has to fill the volume.

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