MEMORANDUM

TO: AHMED ASSEM

FROM: DEVON HILLMAN (9)
PETE 311 503
SUBJECT: LAB NO6: DENSITY MEASUREMENT
DATE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

In this laboratory experiment, our main objectives were to measure the density of a liquid and the density
of small particles using a pycnometer.




On my honor as an Aggie, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic work.


[Signature of student]

Attachment(s): Lab report

Title: Lab 6: Density Measurement

Discussion and Results
For this experiment, we found the density of water (
w
) and the density of glass (
g
) and sandstone (
s
)
using a pycnometer. To begin our experiment, we first found the density of water using a density meter.
The density of water at room temperature was found to be .9976 g/cm
3
. Then we found the density of
glass and sandstone using a pycnometer. For glass we used a 25 mL pycnometer, for sandstone for the
first two trials a 50 mL pycnometer was used and for the third trial a 25mL pycnometer was used. When
we found the density of glass we first measured the weight of the pycnometer (W
1
). Then we added the
glass particles to the pycnometer and measured the weight again (W
2
). Water was then added to the
pycnometer until it was filled and then it was weighed again (W
3
). All three weights are recorded below
in Table 1. Once W
1
, W
2
, and W
3
were all found, we could then find the weight of the glass (W
g
) and
water (W
w
) added, the volume of the water (V
w
) and glass (V
g
) added, and the density of the glass (
g
)
added. W
g
was found using Equation 1, W
w
was found using Equation 2, V
w
was found using Equation 3,
V
g
was found using Equation 4, and
g
was found using Equation 5. We repeated the above steps one
more time for glass and three more times for sandstone.
W
g
= W
2
W
1
.. (1)
W
g
= 26.7 21.85 = 4.85 g

W
w
= W
3
W
2
... (2)
W
w
= 49.68 26.7 = 22.98 g

V
w
= W
w
/
w
... (3)
V
w
= 22.98/.9976 = 23.035 cm
3


V
g
= 25 V
w
. (4)
V
g
= 25 23.035 = 1.965 cm
3



g
= W
g
/V
g
..... (5)

g
= 4.85/1.965 = 2.468 g/cm
3


Table 1: Weights, volumes, and density.
Glass Trial 1 Trial 2 Sandstone Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
W
1
(g) 21.85 21.85 W
1
(g) 22.97 22.92 21.85
W
2
(g) 26.7 26.51 W
2
(g) 28.23 27.65 28.42
W
3
(g) 49.68 49.57 W
3
(g) 75.96 75.63 50.77
W
g
(g) 4.85 4.66 W
s
(g) 5.26 4.73 6.57
W
w
(g) 22.98 23.06 W
w
(g) 47.73 47.98 22.35
V
w
(cm
3
) 23.035 23.115 V
w
(cm
3
) 47.84 48.095 22.404
V
g
(cm
3
) 1.965 1.885 V
s
(cm
3
) 2.16 2.02 2.596

g
(g/cm
3
) 2.468 2.472
s
(g/cm
3
) 2.435 2.342 2.531

Conclusion
In summary, from this lab I learned how to find the density of small particles using a pycnometer. The
density of glass is usually between 2.4 to 2.8 g/cm
3
depending on the type of glass and the density of sand
is 2.65 g/cm
3
. The experimental density values that we calculated for glass were consistent between the
two trials so we did not dispute its accuracy. However, the experimental density values that we calculated
for sandstone were not consistent between the trials and were not close to the actual density value of
sandstone. Possible errors could have occurred due to the amount of cementing materials in the sample.
Cementing materials have a lower density than sandstone so this could cause the density of the entire
sample to be lower than normal.