How Do You Determine The Density Of Solids?
Density is defined as the ratio of the mass of a material to its volume: mass / volume. Solid objects often have irregular shapes that make it difficult to directly calculate their volume. Fortunately, you can determine the volume using the water displacement method by placing the solid object into a graduated cylinder filled with water. Weigh the solid object on the scale; for example, you have a rock that weighs 27.4 g (that is its mass). Fill the graduated cylinder approximately half full with water. Then determine the exact water volume using the cylinder scale. For example, you put 61 ml of water in the cylinder. Put the object into the graduated cylinder, making sure that the object is completely covered with water. The water level will rise. Determine the volume of the water in the graduated cylinder again. For example, the volume after placing the rock is 72.5 ml. Subtract the initial volume from the final volume in the cylinder to calculate the volume of the solid. In our exam
