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Student Exploration: Density Via Comparison: Vocabulary: Density, Mass, Volume

This document provides instructions for an activity to estimate the density of objects without measuring mass or volume. Students observe which fluids cause objects to float or sink. They record this data in a table to estimate each object's density. By seeing if an object floats or sinks in a given fluid, they can compare the densities of different objects and determine which is denser without direct measurements.

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3K views

Student Exploration: Density Via Comparison: Vocabulary: Density, Mass, Volume

This document provides instructions for an activity to estimate the density of objects without measuring mass or volume. Students observe which fluids cause objects to float or sink. They record this data in a table to estimate each object's density. By seeing if an object floats or sinks in a given fluid, they can compare the densities of different objects and determine which is denser without direct measurements.

Uploaded by

Puto
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________________________

Student Exploration: Density via Comparison

Vocabulary: density, mass, volume

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using


the Gizmo.)
The image at right shows a man floating in the Dead
Sea, an extremely salty lake that lies between Israel and
Jordan.

1. Why do you think the man is floating so high in the

water? Just a normal dude floating in the water

reading a newspaper

2. What might happen if this man tried to read the newspaper while floating in a normal pool?

The same thing maybe

Gizmo Warm-up
Whether an object floats or sinks in a fluid depends on the
density—or mass per unit of volume—of the object as well
as the density of the fluid. The Density via Comparison
Gizmo allows you to compare objects by placing them in
fluids of differing densities.

1. Place object A into Beaker 2, which contains a liquid


with a density of 1 g/mL, equal to the density of water.

A. What happens? The ball went all the way down

B. Is object A more or less dense than water? Explain how you know Is more dense
because simple it sinks all the way down in the water

2. Now drop object B into Beaker 2. Describe what happens and explain what that tells you

about the density of object B. _It contains less density than water because started floating

instead of sinking________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

2019
2019
Activity: Get the Gizmo ready:
Estimating  Double-click on the shelf to return all objects to the
density shelf.

Question: How do you estimate the density of an object without measuring its mass or
volume?

1. Observe: Drag object A into Beaker 1. If it sinks, move it into beakers 2, 3, and so on until it
floats.

A. What is the highest-density fluid in which object A sinks?


0.5______________________

B. What is the lowest-density fluid in which object A floats?

2.5______________________

C. Based on the previous two answers, what can you say about the density of object A?
(Note: The density of a solid is measured in g/cm3, which are equivalent to g/mL.)

That is greater than 0.5 all the way up to 2.5

2. Gather data: Drag each object into all of the beakers. Write “floats” or “sinks” in each space
in the table below. In the last column, estimate the density of each object.

Beaker 1 Beaker 2 Beaker 3 Beaker 4 Estimated


Object
(0.5 g/mL) (1 g/mL) (1.5 g/mL) (2.5 g/mL) density
B Sinks float Float Float 1g
C Sink Sink Float float 1.5g
D Sink Sink Float Float 1.5
E Sink Float Float Float 2.0g
F Float Float Float Float 1.8g

3. Analyze: Drag objects B and E into Beaker 2. Which object is denser? Both objects would
have the same density

Explain how you know because is simple both objects float instead of sinking

4. Challenge yourself: Describe how you know which object is denser in each situation.

A. Objects A and B are placed in Beaker 1: Object A because it sinks faster

B. Objects A and B are placed in Beaker 4: A because it sinks while B floats

2019
___________________________________________________________________

2019

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