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How to Make a Density Table With Middle School Students

The method to calculate density can be traced to the mathematician Archimedes, who lived in third century Greece. Archimedes was asked to determine the authenticity of a golden crown given as a gift to the king. Archimedes identified the crown as a fraud by comparing the densities of gold and water. Middle school students are required to study the properties of matter. After creating a density table, they will be able to identify unknown substances and use the table during layered liquid experiments. By creating density tables using common everyday materials, students will become adept in their understanding of scientific principles.

Scientific balance
Volume formula sheet

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the mass of each item you intend to include in your density table using a scientific balance. Use a common metric unit of mass, such as grams. Round all measurements to the same degree of accuracy and record these numbers on graph paper into a chart.
- 2
  Calculate the volume of each item you intend to include in the density table. Record the results on graph paper into a chart. Label the chart "volume" and set it aside for later use.
- 3
  Calculate density by dividing mass by volume. Create a table with four columns. Label the top cells "substance," "mass," "volume" and "density" in that order.
- 4
  Record all measurements and results into the appropriate boxes and label the units appropriately. Label the densities "grams per cubic centimeter" if you used grams for the mass and "cubic centimeters" for the volume.

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