EXPERIMENT 1

DENSITY

Reagents and Materials

-deionized water - alcohol -volumetric flask

-graduated cylinder -vinegar - oil

CAUTIONS

Read the Lab Safety section.

Do not smell non of the solutions, they are all irritants.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this experiment is to understand the meaning and significance of the
density of a substance.

INTRODUCTION AND THEORY

Density is a basic physical property of a homogeneous substance; it is an

intensive property, which means it depends only on the substance's composition and
does not vary with size or amount. The determination of density is a nondestructive
physical process for distinguishing one substance from another. Density is the ratio of
a substance's mass to its own volume.
𝑚 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑔 𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔
𝑑 = = 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠 ∶ , , (𝑆𝐼)
𝑣 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑚𝐿 𝐿 𝑚

In the metric system the unit of density for a liquid or solid is measured in g/mL or
g/cm3. The cm3 volume unit used with solids is numerically equal to mL volume unit
used with liquids. That is, 1 mL = 1 cm3. In this experiment you will determine the
density of several liquids and compare the physical properties of those liquids.
Which is heavier, a pound of aluminum or a pound of lead? The answer, of course,
is neither, but many people confuse the words "heavy" and "dense." "Heavy" refers to
mass only. Density is the mass of a substance contained in a unit of volume. Lead is
a very dense metal and contains a large quantity of matter in a small volume, while
aluminum, being much less dense, contains a smaller quantity of matter in the same
volume.

The mass of any object is determined by comparing its mass with the mass of
known object or objects (i.e., it is weighed). The volume of a liquid is measured using
a graduated cylinder, a pipet, or some other volumetric apparatus. The volume of a

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regular solid (e.g. a cube or a sphere) may be determined by measuring its dimensions
and then calculating it using the correct mathematical formula. The difficulty in
determining the volume of an irregular solid in this manner is obvious. The method
commonly used is to measure the change in the volume of water when the object is
immersed in the water. The object displaces a volume of water equal to its own
volume. If the solid material is soluble in water, another liquid, in which the solid is
insoluble, is used (e.g. carbon tetrachloride for salt).

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
1) Density of water:
Weigh a clean dry 50 mL graduated cylinder. Remove it from balance and add
20.0 mL of distilled water and read the volume to the nearest 0.1 mL (carefully observe
the bottom of the meniscus). Re-weigh the graduated cylinder now containing water.
Calculate the mass of water and the density of the water using the equation, d = m/V.
As with any experiment, you should always check how accurate your
experimentally obtained value is compared to the "true" or accurate value. This
experimental error is also known as percent error and it describes the percentage the
experimental value is off from the actual value.

If you used the graduated cylinder and balance correctly, you should have an
experimental error less than 1%. If your error is greater that 5% repeat the above
experiment until you have a small percent error.
o
The density of water, then, is one g/mL at 4 C. Since the volume occupied by one
gram of water varies slightly with temperature, the density also varies slightly with
changes in temperature.

2) Density of alcohol:
Weigh a dry 50 mL graduated cylinder. Remove it from balance and add 10 mL
of alcohol and read the volume to the nearest 0.1 mL (carefully observe the bottom of
the meniscus). Re-weigh the graduated cylinder now containing alcohol. Record the
weight of alcohol then calculate the density of the alcohol using the equation, d = m/V.

3) Density of oil:
Weigh a dry 50 mL graduated cylinder. Remove it from balance and add 10 mL of
oil and read the volume to the nearest 0.1 mL (carefully observe the bottom of the
meniscus). Re-weigh the graduated cylinder now containing oil. Record the weight of
oil then calculate the density of the oil.

4) Density of vinegar:
Repeat the process with vinegar.

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RESULTS:

1) Density of water

1. Known density of water at 250C =___________ What are the units? _______

2. Weight of a dry 50 mL graduated cylinder = ________________

3. Volume of water added to graduated cylinder = ________________

4. Weight of graduated cylinder and water. = ________________

5. Mass of water in the graduated cylinder = ________________

6. Calculate the density of the water using the equation, d = m/V.

density = _________________

7. Calculate your experimental error. = _________________

2) Density of alcohol:

1. Known density of ethyl alcohol at 250C = _____________

2. Weight of a dry 50 mL graduated cylinder = ________________

3. Volume of alcohol added to graduated cylinder = ________________

4. Weight of graduated cylinder and alcohol. = ________________

5. Mass of alcohol = ________________

6. Calculate the density of the alcohol using the equation, d = m/V.

density = ___________

7. Calculate your experimental error. = _________________

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3) Density of oil:

1. Known density of oil at 250C =________________

2. Weight of a dry 50 mL graduated cylinder = ________________

3. Volume of oil added to graduated cylinder = ________________

4. Weight of graduated cylinder and oil. = ________________

5. Mass of oil = ________________

6. Calculate the density of the oil using the equation, d = m/V.

density = _____________

7. Calculate your experimental error. = _________________

4) Density of vinegar:

1. Weight of a dry 50 mL graduated cylinder = ________________

2. Volume of vinegar added to graduated cylinder = ________________

3. Weight of graduated cylinder and vinegar. = ________________

4. Mass of vinegar = ________________

5. Calculate the density of the vinegar using the equation, d = m/V.

density = __________________

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PRE-EXPERIMENT ASSIGNMENT
DENSITY
1. A metal sphere weighing 18.48 g is added to 20.00 mL of water in a graduated
cylinder. If the density of the metal is 4.50 g/mL, what will be new level of
water in the graduated cylinder?
2. Write the kind of methods which can be used to to measure density for solid and
liquid materials.

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