1.
3 MASS AND WEIGHT
MASS
WEIGHT
NEWTON
• The unit of force is newton (N).
• The weight is the force and therefore should be
measured in newtons
WEIGHT AND GRAVITY
GRAVITATIONAL FIELD
1.4 DENSITY
Density is the mass per unit volume.
• The density of lead is 11 grams per cubic
centimetre (11 g/cm3) and this means that a piece
of lead of volume 1 cm3 has mass 11 g. A volume
of 5 cm3 of lead would have mass 55 g.
• The SI unit of density is the kilogram per
cubic metre.
• To convert a density from g/cm3/we use, to
kg/m3, we multiply by 103
CALCULATION
Simple density measurements
If the mass m and volume V of a substance are known, its density can be found from
ρ = m/V.
a) Regularly shaped solid
The mass is found on a balance and the volume by measuring its dimensions with a
ruler.
b) Irregularly shaped solid, such as a pebble or glass stopper
The mass of the solid is found on a balance.
Its volume is measured by one of the methods shown in Figures 5.2a and b. In Figure 5.2a the
volume is the difference between the first and second readings.
In Figure 5.2b it is the volume of water collected in the measuring cylinder.
c) Liquid
• The mass of an empty beaker is found on a balance.
• A known volume of the liquid is transferred from a burette or a
measuring cylinder into the beaker.
• The mass of the beaker plus liquid is found and the mass of liquid is
obtained by subtraction.
d) Air
• Using a balance, the mass of a 500cm3 round-bottomed flask full of
air is found and again after removing the air with a vacuum pump; the
difference gives the mass of air in the flask.
• The volume of air is found by filling the flask with water and pouring it
into a measuring cylinder.
Floating and sinking
• An object sinks in a liquid of lower density than its own; otherwise it floats, partly or wholly submerged.
• For example, a piece of glass of density 2.5g/cm3 sinks in water (density 1.0g/cm3) but floats in
mercury (density 13.6g/cm3).
• An iron nail sinks in water but an iron ship floats because its average density is less than that of water.
