Density Lab: Archimedes and Lava Lamp

Archimedes was a famous Greek mathematician and scientist. He lived in Syracuse and worked
for King Hiero II. Hiero had commissioned the manufacture of a solid gold crown to be used in
religious ceremonies; however, the king was suspicious that the goldsmith had replaced some of
the more expensive gold with silver. Hiero asked Archimedes to determine whether the crown
was pure gold. Because the crown was a holy object, Archimedes could not disturb the crown in
any way. The answer came to Archimedes when he stepped into the bathtub and noticed that
the overflow of water was proportional to the volume of his body in the tub. He cried “Eureka” (“I
have found it”) and ran through the streets of Syracuse naked to celebrate his intellectual
triumph. Archimedes then used the concepts of water displacement and density to prove that
the goldsmith was dishonest. In this part of the lab, students will follow Archimedes’ lead and
determine the identity of an unknown metal which is claimed to be silver.

Procedures: Part I

1. Obtain four weigh boats. Make sure that the “silver” metal is dry. If it is not, use paper towels to
dry it before proceeding.
2. Place the first weigh boat on the scale, zero it out, and add the “silver” PIECE BY PIECE until the
mass is approximately 7 g. Do not reach in and take out pieces if you go a little over (it can
damage the scale). Record the exact mass in the data table below under
sample 1.
Data Table: I: Mass and Volume
Sample Mass (in g) Initial volume Final volume Sample volume
Metal (mL) (mL (mL)
)
1

3. Repeat the process for the three remaining weigh boats for total masses of about 9 g, 11 g, and 13
g. Record the exact masses for samples 2-4 in the data table.
4. Obtain a clean 100 mL graduated cylinder and add approximately 30 mL of water to the cylinder.
5. Measure the initial volume of water in the cylinder to the nearest 0.1 mL and record the value for
sample 1 in the data table.
6. Carefully add sample 1 to the water in the graduated cylinder. The best approach is to tip the
graduated cylinder at a slight angle, fold the weigh boat, and gently slide the metal into the water
so that the water does not splash (and the graduated cylinder does not break). Lightly tap the
cylinder to release any trapped air bubbles. Record the final volume (volume of water plus the
sample) in the data table.
7. Repeat steps five and six for the remaining samples. DO NOT REMOVE PRIOR SAMPLES from
the graduated cylinder between measurements. Record the initial and final volume measurements
in the data table.
8. Strain the water over your hand and tap water beaker to get metal pieces. Be careful they do not fall
in the beaker. Clean and dry pieces with a paper towel and place them back in Ziploc bag for next
group to use.
 Part II: Lava Lamp

A lava lamp is a novelty item that uses the concept of density to create an interesting rise and fall of
colored blobs. In this part of the lab, students will create a lava lamp in a test tube to observe and analyze the
interesting visual effects.

Procedures: Part II:

1. Obtain a test tube and a test tube rack.

2. Measure and add 5 mL using the small 10 mL graduated cylinder vinegar (acetic acid in water) to the
test tube. Add one or two drops of the food coloring of your choice to the vinegar (more is not better).
3. Add enough vegetable oil to fill the test tube about 2/3 full (do not fill to the top). A little below
the colored marking on test tube. Observe the formation of two layers.
4. Add a spatula tip full of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to the test tube. Tap the side of the test
tube and watch the baking soda drift downward to the vinegar layer.
5. Watch carefully as globs of color rise and eventually fall. Study the rise and fall of the
globs of color and see if you can explain what you are observing in terms of physical and chemical
properties. If time permits, add another spatula tip of baking soda to observe the lava lamp in action
again.
6. Clean up: Follow clean-up procedures on board.
Data Table: II: Lava Lamp and Density
Observations:

Box in about three notebook spaces so you have room to write your observation.

Calculations: Part 1:

1. Determine the volume of water displaced by each of the four samples. Record the values in the data
table under the sample volume column. Show one volume displacement calculation in your
calculation section as an example (it is not necessary to show the other three) and remember to
use significant figures.
2. Graph the mass and sample volume data for the four samples. You can use a calculator to graph
the data; however, you still have to show all graphing and calculations by hand. Use the y axis for
the mass and the x axis for the sample volume. Label each axis (with units) and make sure that the
scale is clearly marked (it is your choice what scale to use). Remember to give your graph a
descriptive title.
3. Once the data has been plotted, draw a best-fit line through the data points and include the origin.
If you are unsure how to draw a best-fit line, ask a neighbor (not the instructor).
4. Calculate the slope of the best-fit line. Show all of your work in the calculations section.
What are the units of the slope?
5. Use the following information to determine the probable identity of the “silver” metal.
 Metal Au Ag Cu Fe Zn Al
Slope 19.3 10.5 8.9 7.9 7.1 2.7

6. Calculate the % error in your determination of the metal’s identity.

Calculations: Part II: N/A

Analysis: Part I:

1. Why should the origin be included as a point in your best-fit line?

2. What physical property is represented by the slope? How do you know?
3. How accurate and precise are your results? Explain your reasoning.

Analysis: Part II

1. Why did two layers form when the oil was added? Explain.
3. What kind of a change (physical or chemical) occurred when the baking soda hit the vinegar
layer? Explain your reasoning.
4. What is the glob of color that is moving around? Is it oil or vinegar? Explain how you know.
5. What happens when the bubbles get to the surface?
6. Why do the blobs of color rise to the surface and then fall back down? Answer in terms of physical
and chemical properties.
Conclusion
Follow all requirements on lab format guidelines for entire lab.