MODULE: PHYS1 Mechanics and Thermodynamics

“DENSITY”

Density is the amount of mass per unit volume and is, therefore, a measure of
compactness. Materials with a high density are more compact than those with a lower
density.
Density determines whether something floats or sinks in a liquid or gas. A substance
floats in a liquid or gas of higher density. It sinks in a liquid or gas of lower density.
Definition: Density
Density is the amount of mass per unit volume.

Fig1

Water is a relatively compact substance, and it ordinarily has a density of 1

g/cm3.Materials float on water if they have a density less than 1 g/cm3 and sink if their
density is greater than 1 g/cm3.Cork floats on water because it has a very low density of
about 0.2 g/cm3.It is much less dense than water.

Wood is another material that floats on water since it is less dense than 1 g/cm3.Most
types of wood have a density of about 0.6 g/cm3,but some can have a density as low as
0.1 g/cm3.Metals like aluminum are much denser than cork and wood. They ordinarily
sink in water, as their density is greater than 1 g/cm3.

The image above shows a tank of water into which various objects have been placed. Which of
the following statements might explain Why Some Objects Float on Water While Others Sink.
A. The ice cube and cork have densities greater than the density of water.
B. The cork and stone have densities less than the density of water.
C. The stone and iron nail have densities greater than the density of water.
D. The piece of wood and iron nail have densities less than the density of water.
E. The objects all have the same density as water.

Explanation: Density is a property of all materials and describes the compactness of a

substance. A substance is compact if it has a high density and less compact if it has a
lower density. Scientists determine density using the density equation:

A substance floats on water if it is less dense than water. Ice, wood, and cork all float
on water because they have lower densities than water. Most types of stone and iron
sink in water because they are denser than water.

The figure shows a stone and iron nail at the bottom of a tank of water. The stone and
iron nail must have sunk to the bottom of the container because these objects are denser
than water. So, choice C must be the answer to this question.

Example1. Let us use the density equation to calculate the density of a medium-sized
granite stone. We will first state that the stone has a mass of 540.0 g and a volume
of 200.0 cm3.The first line shows that the stone measures 540.0 g:
the mass of the granite stone = 540.0g

The second line shows that the stone has a volume of 200.0 cm3
3
the volume of the granite stone = 200.0𝑐𝑚

The result of this calculation shows that the granite stone has a density of 2.7 g/cm3
Granite stones sink in water, as they are compact and denser than water.
Example2: A substance has a mass of 13.5 g and occupies a volume of 5 cm3.What is its
density?

We can do experiments to determine the density of a liquid and then figure out its
name or composition using reference data. Let us imagine we are figuring out the
name of an unidentified yellow liquid. We first measure the mass of an empty
graduated cylinder as 80 g:
the mass of the empty graduated cylinder = 80g.
the mass of the liquid = 172g − 80g
the mass of the liquid = 92g

Hence, the liquid has a mass of 92 g.

We then use this experimental data to determine the density of the yellow liquid. We
first write the density equation on one line:
We can then compare the calculated density with reference data to help us determine
the identity of the yellow liquid. The following table shows the density of some
common liquid substances.

The liquid is yellow and has the density of vegetable oil. We can reasonably assume
the unidentified substance is vegetable oil and later confirm this through one or two
more scientific experiments. We should recognize from these calculations that
vegetable oil floats above water since it is less dense than water.

Determining the Density of an Unidentified Liquid

A student wants to determine the density of a liquid. They first weigh a glass beaker
and then add exactly 50 cm3 of the liquid into the beaker. Finally, the glass beaker is
weighed again. The student records their measurements in the table shown below. Using
this information, what is the density of the liquid to 1 decimal place?
Let us first determine the mass of the liquid in the glass beaker as the difference
between the mass of the empty glass beaker and the mass of the glass beaker and
liquid:
the mass of the liquid = 112g − 67g
the mass of the liquid = 45g

This number is already written to one decimal place, so the answer to this question
is 0.9 g/cm3.
We can rearrange the density equation to determine the mass or volume of a
substance.
The following equation shows how we can rearrange the density equation to
determine a volume from known mass and density:

Similarly, the next equation shows how we rearrange the density equation for
determining an unknown mass from known density and volume:

Let us imagine we find a 10 cm3 pure gold nugget and want to calculate its mass. We
would first rearrange the density equation to have volume and density on the right
side of the equals sign:
Water is a relatively compact substance and is denser than petrol and oil. People do not
use water for extinguishing petrol or oil fires because water sinks below the surface of
these liquids. It then ends up being superheated and can explosively erupt outward.
Water can make a petrol or oil fire many times more dangerous.

Balloons ordinarily contain gases of the elements hydrogen or helium, which are less
dense than air. Hydrogen and helium balloons effectively float in air because they have
such an incredibly low density. They are much less dense than air and will rise into the
atmosphere if someone or something is not holding on to them.