Density

Calculati
ons
Density is an important intensive property, which can be used to
help determine the identity of an unknown substance. While the mass
or the volume of a substance will vary from sample to sample, the
density will remain the same at a given temperature. As you know,
the density of a substance is a measure of how much mass is present
in a given unit of volume. The formula is shown below:

In laboratory exercises, it is easy to find the mass and volume of

most solids, so it is common to solve for density. When dealing with
gases, however, it is often easy to find the volume, but very hard to
find the mass. By looking up the density of a known gas in a
reference table, and using the experimental volume, you can calculate
the mass using the equation above. As in any algebraic expression,
we can solve for any of the three variables as long as the other two
variables are given or known.
Solving For Density
When solving for density, you would use the formula exactly as it
appeared above. Here is an example where density is the unknown,
and the steps for solving the problem:
1. A student determines that a piece of an unknown material has a
mass of 5.854 g and a volume of 7.57 cm3. What is the density of the
material, rounded to the correct number of significant digits?
First: Write the correct formula at the top of your page, and list the
knowns and the unknowns.

D=?
M= 5.854 g
V = 7.57 cm3
Second: Substitute the known values in the problem
Third: Calculate your answer, including units
D = 0.77331571994
g/cm 3

Fourth: Round to the correct number of significant figures

D = 0.773
g/cm 3

Solving For Mass

When solving for mass, we must take the original formula, and
isolate the unknown like so:
Multiply both sides by v

The "v's" cancel out

Isolate for mass

m=vxD

Here is an example where we must solve for mass being the unknown
2. Iron has a known density of 7.87 g/cm3. What would be the mass
of a 2.5 dm3 piece of iron?
Notice that the density is given in the units g/cm3, but the volume is
given in the units dm3. Therefore, this problem requires an additional
step.
First: Change the question so that the volume is given in the same
units as the density.
Use the factor label method:

So: Iron has a known density of 7.87 g/cm3. What would be the
mass of a 2.5 dm3 piece of iron?
2500 cm3

Second: Write the original formula for density, and then isolate the
unknown (mass). List the "knowns" and the "unknown"
Original Formula

Adjusted Formula
m=vxD
D = 7.87 g/cm3
m=?
v = 2500 cm3

Third: Substitute the known values in the problem

m = 2500 cm3 x 7.87 g/cm3
Fourth: Calculate the answer including units
m = 2500 cm3 x 7.87 g/cm3
m = 19675 g
Fifth: Round to the correct number of significant figures
m = 2.0 x 104 g

Note - we use scientific notation to express the correct number of

significant digits.

Solving For Volume

When solving for volume, we must take the original formula, and
isolate the unknown like so:
Original Formula

Multiply both sides by volume

m=vxD
Divide both sides by density
 Adjusted formula

Now, here is an example of a density problem where volume is the

unknown
3. Mercury has a density of 13.5 g/cm3. How much space would
50.0 g of mercury occupy?

First: Write the original formula for density, and then isolate the
unknown (Volume). List the "knowns" and the "unknown".
Original Formula

Multiply both sides by volume

m=vxD
Divide both sides by density

Adjusted formula

D = 13.5 g/cm3
M = 50.0 g
V=?
Second: Substitute the known values in the problem
 Third: Calculate your answer, including units
v = 3.70370370. . . cm3

Fourth: Round to the correct number of significant figures

v = 3.70 cm3

Density Problems
by Arthur Keeney
Top of Form

1 If a material has a3mass of 77.6g and a

volume of 11.5cm , what is its density?

6.75g/cm3

76.6g/cm3

67.6g/cm3

7.6g/cm3

2 A sample has a volume of 10.2cm

3
and a
mass of 15.6g. What is the density of the
gold?

110.3g/cm3

1.53g/cm3

5.1g/cm3

15.0g/cm3

3 What is the density of a material when the

mass is 20.4g and the volume is 18.6cm ? 3

381.5g/cm3

1.10g/cm3

38.5g/cm3
 .97g/cm3

4 What is the density of a substance3 if its mass

is 36.7g and its volume is 1.57cm ?

55.5g/cm3

23.4g/cm3

15.5g/cm3

0g/cm3

5 A sample 3has a mass of 1.02g and a volume

of 1.35cm , what is the density of the nickel?

46.7g/cm3

.756g/cm3

75.0g/cm3

3.02g/cm3

6 A sample3 has a mass of 1.2g and a volume

of 1.1cm , what is its density?

1.1g/cm3

11.2g/cm3

2.2g.cm3

11.1g/cm3

7 What is the density of a sample3 if its mass is

44.3g and its volume is 22.1cm ?

.56g/cm3

56.3g/cm3
 88.3g/cm3

2.00g/cm3

8 What is the density a substance that has a

mass of 87.6g and a volume of 8.09cm ? 3

11.7g/cm3

.09g/cm3

10.0g/cm3

10.8g/cm3

9 A piece of metal has a mass of 32.4g and

has a volume of 24.9cm , what's its density?
3

806.8g/cm3

1.30g/cm3

.77g/cm3

7.5g/cm3

1 If a sample that has a volume of 5.25cm

3
and
a mass of 97.4g its density would be...
0
185g/cm3

18.6g/cm3

.053g/cm3

1.8gcm3

1 What is the density3 of a substance when its

volume is 51.6cm and its mass is 134.5g?
1
2.61g/cm3
 .823g/cm3

.38g/cm3

6.23g/cm3

1 A substance has a3 mass of 61.9g and its

volume is 5.46cm , what is this density?
2
11.3g/cm3

333.06g/cm3

3.11g/cm3

33.1g/cm3

1 What's the density of a sample that has3 a

mass of 75.4g and a volume of 5.24cm ?
3
76.8g/cm3

13.4g/cm3

14.4g/cm3

15.6g/cm3

1 What is the density of a substance that 3has a

mass of 54.2g and a volume of 3.06cm ?
4
7.17g/cm3

1g/cm3

1,77g/cm3

17.7g/cm3

1 What is the density of a material3 if its mass

2.02g and its volume is .500cm ?
5
 3.04g/cm3

1.02g/cm3

5.02g/cm3

4.04g/cm3

Bottom of Form
Significant Digits
by Kevin Knowles
Top of Form

1 How many significants digits are in the

number 760?

2 How many significants digits are in the

number 407?

3 How many significants digits are in the

number 780?

1
4 How many significants digits are in the
number 0.560?

5 How many significants digits are in the

number 6.02 X 10 ?
3

6 How many significants digits are in the

number 7.0 X 10 ?
2

7 How many significant digits are in the number

269?

4
 3

8 How many significants digits are in the

number 700?

9 How many significants digits are in the

number 3.07?

1 How many significants digits are in the

number 0.0030?
0
1

5
Bottom of Form
Name________________________ Section_____________________
__ _______
Hit the print command and show all work in the spaces provided. Use the 5-step method and be
sure to include units where appropriate. Round your answers to the correct number of significant
digits.
 Mass m
Density = -------------- or D = -------
Volume v
Use the density formula to solve the following problems:
1. Calculate the density of a material that has a mass of 52.457 g and a volume of 13.5 cm3.

2. A student finds a rock on the way to school. In the laboratory he determines that the
volume of the rock is 22.7 cm3, and the mass in 39.943 g. What is the density of the rock?

3. If 30.943 g of a liquid occupy a space of 35.0 ml, what is the density of the liquid in
g/cm3?

Answers 1) 3.89 g/cm3 2) 1.76 g/cm3 3) 0.884 g/cm3

Name__________________________ Section____________________________

Hit the print command and show all work in the spaces provided. Use the 5-step method and be
sure to include units where appropriate. Round your answers to the correct number of significant
digits.
Mass m
Density = -------------- or D = -------
Volume v
Adjust the density formula and solve the problems below:
m
D = ------- Original Formula - Adjust the formula for the unknown m=
v
1. The density of silver is 10.49 g/cm3. If a sample of pure silver has a volume of 12.993
cm3, what would the mass?

2. How many grams of tin would occupy 5.5 L, if it has a density of 7.265 g/cm3?
 3. What is the mass of a 350 cm3 sample of pure silicon with a density of 2.336 g/cm3?

Answers 1) 136.3g 2) 4.0 x 104 g 3) 820 g

Name__________________________ Section____________________________

Hit the print command and show all work in the spaces provided. Use the 5-step method and be
sure to include units where appropriate. Round your answers to the correct number of significant
digits.
Mass m
Density = -------------- or D = -------
Volume v
Adjust the density formula and solve the problems below:
m
D = ------- Original Formula - Adjust the formula for the unknown v=
v
1. Pure gold has a density of 19.32 g/cm3. How large would a piece of gold be if it had a
mass of 318.97 g?

2. How many cm3 would a 55.932 g sample of copper occupy if it has a density of 8.92
g/cm3?

3. The density of lead is 11.342 g/cm3. What would be the volume of a 200.0 g sample of
this metal?

Answers 1) 16.51 cm3 2) 6.270 cm3 3) 17.63 cm3

Answer the following questions. Remember to include units and significant figures in
your answer.
1. Calculate the density of each of the following:
a. 252 mL of a solution with a mass of 500. g

b. 252 mL of a solution with a mass of 500 g

c. A 6.75 g solid with a volume of 5.35 cm3

d. 50.0 mg of a gas which occupies a volume of 0.0064 L

e. A substance with a mass of 7.55 x 104 kg and a volume of 9.50 x 103 L

2. Calculate the volume of each of the following:

a. 26.5 g of a solution with a density of 7.48 g/mL
b. A 3.400 kg solid with a density of 10.74 g/mL
3. Calculate the mass of each of the following:
a. A solid with a volume of 1.68 ft3 and a density of 9.2 g/mL

b. An 80 mL aliquot of a solution with a density of 5.80 g/cm3

c. A solid with a density of 2.65 g/mL and dimensions of 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm

x 2.5 cm

4. The mass of an empty flask is 49.74 g. What is the mass of the flask filled
with acetone (d = 0.792 g/mL) if the same flask weighs 75.2 g when filled
with water?

5. An empty flask has a mass of 123.4 g. When the flask is filled with water, the
mass is 211.6 g. If 10.0 g of zinc (d = 7.14 g/cm3) are added to the flask filled
 with water (and the sides of the flask are dried from the displaced water)
what is the new mass of the flask?

DENSITY QUESTIONS WORKSHEET

1) A substance is cut into several pieces. As compared to the
density of
the original sample, the density of each piece will be
A) Greater B) Less C) The Same
2) As the temperature of water changes from 4 degrees Celsius To
0
degrees Celsius. The volume of the water will
A) Increase B) Decrease C) Remain the same
3) If a sphere is heated to a temperature below it’s melting
point,
which of the following is most likely to occur?
A)The volume of the sphere will increase but its density will
decrease.
B)The volume of the sphere will decrease but its density will
increase.
C)Both the volume and the density of the sphere will increase.
D)Both the volume and the density of the sphere will decrease.
4) An empty 250 milliliter beaker has a mass of 60 grams. When
100
milliliters of oil is added to the beaker, the total mass is
140 grams. What is the density of the oil?
A) 1.4 g/ml B) 0.8 g/ml C) 0.6 g/ml D) 1.7 g/ml
5) Which characteristic of an object will always change as the
object
travels from the Earth to the moon?
A) Volume B) Density C) Weight D) Mass
6) Four solid cubes have equal mass. Which occupies the greatest
volume?
A)Aluminum (density = 2.7 g/cm3) C) Tin (density 7.3 g/cm3)
B)Glass (density 3.6 g/cm3) D) Lead (density = 11.4 g/cm3)
7) What is the density of a rock, which has a mass of 35 grams
and a
volume of 7.0 cubic centimeters?
A) 28 g/cm3 B) 42 g/cm3 C) 5 g/cm3 D) 0.20 g/cm3
8) A prediction of next winter’s weather is an example of
A) a measurement B) an inference C) an observation
9) A person measures the length of a piece of wood and finds
that it is
41 centimeters. If the actual length is 40 centimeters, what is
the
percent deviation (percent of error from the actual length)?
A) 1.0% B) 2.5% C) 5.0% D) 9.8%
10) Which factor can be predicted most accurately from day to
day?
A) Chance of precipitation B) Altitude of the Sun at noon.
C) Time of an earthquake occurring D) Direction of the wind.
11) A student measures the depth of a lake as 7.00 meters. What
is the
percent deviation if the correct measurement is 8.00 meters?
A) 1.0% B) —12.5% C) 16.7% 0) 28.6%
12) A 5.00 milliliter sample of a substance has a mass of 12.5
grams.
What is the mass of a 100 milliliter sample of the same
substance?
A) 40.0 g B)125 g C)400 g D)250 g

In a well-known tale, Archimedes was given the task of determining whether King Hiero's
goldsmith was embezzling gold during the manufacture of a wreath dedicated to the gods and
replacing it with another, cheaper alloy.[1]
Archimedes knew that the irregularly shaped wreath could be crushed into a cube whose volume
could be calculated easily and compared with the mass; but the king did not approve of this.
Baffled, Archimedes took a relaxing immersion bath and observed from the rise of the warm
water upon entering that he could calculate the volume of the gold crown through the
displacement of the water. Allegedly, upon this discovery, he went running naked through the
streets shouting, "Eureka! Eureka!" (Εύρηκα! Greek "I found it"). As a result, the term "eureka"
entered common parlance and is used today to indicate a moment of enlightenment.
The story first appeared in written form in Vitruvius' books of architecture, two centuries after it
supposedly took place.[2] Some scholars have doubted the accuracy of this tale, saying among
other things that the method would have required precise measurements that would have been
difficult to make at the time. [3][4]