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Lab: Percent Composition of Pennies (24 points)

Objectives
After you have completed this laboratory, you will be able to:

Calculate the density of an object.

Make accurate and precise measurements.

Calculate percent error.

Introduction
The composition of a penny has changed throughout the years. Before 1982 pennies were made of a
copper alloy. An alloy is a mixture of metals. Post-1982 pennies have a copper coating but contain a
different metal inside. The composition of the post-1982 pennies can be determined by calculating the
density and comparing it to the densities of various metals.

Purpose of This Lab


The purpose of this lab is to determine which metal is inside of a post-1982 penny by calculating the
density of the penny and comparing it to the densities of various metals.

Questions
1. Is density a physical or chemical property?
Density is an Intensive physical property because it can be measured without changing the
substances Identity, furthermore it is Intensive because It never changes no matter how much of the
substances is present.

Hypothesis
After reading the lab instructions but before starting the lab, record your best educated guess about
what will happen in the experiment. Write the hypothesis as an if-then statement. Give your reasons
and outline any assumptions that lead you to this hypothesis.

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Experiment: Percent Composition of Pennies


In this lab you will calculate the mass and volume of post-1982 pennies. Using the density, youll be able
to identify the metal inside of a penny. It is very important that you measure mass and volume with
accuracy.

Materials

40 pennies made in 1983 or after

water

1 plastic cup

graduated cylinder that measures in mL

digital scale that measures in g

Getting Started

Gather all the materials for the lab.

Count out 40 post-1982 pennies and place them in a cup.

Procedure
1. Count out 10 pennies from the cup.
2. Place the 10 pennies on the scale.
3. Record the mass in the data table.
4. Fill the graduated cylinder with 30 mL of water. Remember to read from the meniscus.
5. Place all 10 pennies in the graduated cylinder.
6. Record the volume increase in the Data Table. (mL is equivalent to cm 3)
7. Repeat steps 1-6 for 20 pennies.
8. Repeat steps 1-6 for 30 pennies.
9. Repeat steps 1-6 for 40 pennies.

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Disposal and Clean Up


1. Clean and dry all lab materials.
2. Clean and dry the workspace.

Data
Data Table 1: Average Density of Post-1982 Pennies
3

Number of Pennies

Mass (g)

Volume (cm )

Density (g/mL)

10
20
30
40

Analysis
1. Calculate the average mass of the four penny samples. (For example: take the mass of 10
pennies and divide it by 10 to get the average mass of one penny. Do the same for all samples
and find the overall average mass for one penny.)

2. Calculate the average volume of the four penny samples. (Use the same procedure you used to
find the average mass.)

3. Using the average mass and average volume, calculate the average density of the post-1982
pennies. (D = m/V)

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4. Compare the average density to the list of densities below. Of which metal are pennies
composed?

Metal
iron

Density (g/cm3)
7.87 7.14 7.00
8.92

chromium
zinc

10.50

copper

8.91

silver
nickel

5. Calculate the percent error of your density. The theoretical value of post-1982 penny density is
7.05 g/cm3.

Conclusion
After conducting the experiment, how would you now explain the problem(s) or answer the question(s)?
Were you able to support your hypothesis or not? Be sure to base your answer on the data you collected.
Consider whether your conclusion is the only explanation for the data you collected or if there could be
alternate explanations.
Use these prompts to guide you in writing your conclusion:

Discuss how you identified the unknown metal of which post-1982 pennies are composed.

Why did you have to make multiples measurements?

Why did you use more than ten pennies for each measurement and not just one penny?

Was it important for your measurements to be accurate? Explain.

Were the measurements that you made precise? Explain.

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Additional Questions
1. What accounts for the percent error in the density calculation?

2. Why do you think composition of pennies was changed after 1982?

3. If your experiment does not seem to match the expected results, what did you learn from the
experience? If you were to repeat the lab so that the results were closer to what was expected,
what would you do differently?

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