Measuring Density
Equipment List
Resolution of measuring equipment:
30 cm ruler = 1 mm
Vernier calipers = 0.01 mm
Micrometer = 0.001 mm
Digital balance = 0.01 g
Experiment 1: Measuring the Density of Regularly Shaped Objects
The aim of this experiment is to determine the densities of regular objects by using measurements of their dimensions
Variables:
Independent variable = Type of shape / volume
Dependent variable = Mass of the object
Place the object on a digital balance and note down its mass
Use either the ruler, Vernier calipers or micrometer to measure the object’s dimensions (width, height, length, radius) – the apparatus will depend on the size of the object
Repeat these measurements and take an average of these readings before calculating the density
An example of a results table might look like this:
Analysis of Results
Calculate the volume of the object depending on whether it is a cube, sphere, cylinder (or other regular shape)
Remember to convert from centimetres (cm) to metres (m) by dividing by 100
1 cm = 0.01 m
50 cm = 0.5 m
Using the mass and volume, the density of each can be calculated using the equation:
Where:
ρ = density in kilogram per metres cubed (kg/m3)
m = mass in kilograms (kg)
V = volume in metres cubed (m3)