4.4.12

Density

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Density

Density is a measure of how much mass an object has per unit volume.

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Density

  • Density is a measure of how much mass an object has per unit volume.
  • Density can be used to determine how heavy an object is based on its volume.
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Calculating density

  • Density can be calculated using the formula:
    • ρ = mV\frac{m}{V}
      • ρ (Rho) is the density of the material.
      • m is the mass of the object.
      • V is the volume of the object.
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Units of density

  • Density will be measured in a unit which specifies mass divided by volume:
    • The most common is kgm-3 (kilograms per cubic metre).

Density - Example

This baby elephant has a higher density than water, so sinks...

Calculating Density

To find out the density (density=mass/volume) of an object, we measure its mass and volume. We can measure the mass of an object using a balance (scales). We can calculate the density of:

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Liquids

  • To measure the density of liquids, place a measuring cylinder on a balance and set the reading to zero.
  • Pour the liquid into the cylinder and write down its mass and volume. Then calculate the density.
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Irregularly shaped solids

  • For solids, we can use the Law of Displacement to estimate its volume.
  • This is done using a displacement can, or a graduated measuring cylinder.
  • The volume of displaced water is measured, and this is the volume of the object.

Jump to other topics

1Physical Quantities & Units

2Measurement Techniques

3Kinematics

4Dynamics

5Gravitational Fields

6Deformation of Solids

7Thermal Physics

8Oscillations

9Communication

10Electric Fields

11Current Electricity

12Magnetic Fields

13Modern Physics

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