LEARNING AREA

MATTER

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF DENSITY

NAME :
IC NUMBER :
FORM :
TEACHER’S NAME :
TITLE : DENSITY AND BUOYANCY OF OBJECTS

Aim : To study the density of solids and liquids

Hypothesis : Different solids and liquids have different densities

Apparatus and Materials : Water, petrol, sand, cork and measuring cylinder

Procedure :

1. The measuring cylinder is filled with water.

2. The petrol, sand and cork are filled in the same measuring cylinder.
3. The results were taken.

Observation and Results :

Cork

Petrol

Water

Sand

Analysis :

1. Are cork, petrol, sand and water are matter?

Yes

2. Based on the substances used, which are examples of:

a) Solid : cork and sand
b) Liquid : water and petrol

3. Which substance
a) Float: cork and petrol b) Sink: sand in water.

4. Why the substances in (3) float/sink in water?

Cork and petrol float on water because they are less dense than water while sand sinks
in water because sand is denser than water.

5. What property do these substances have that affect their buoyancies?

Different densities of the substances.
6. Arrange these substances in Table 1 in sequence based on their density in ascending
order.

Substances Density [gcm-3]

Petrol 0.75
Sand 2.6
Water 1.0
Cork 0.25
Table 1

Cork, petrol, water and sand

7. i) Based on the observation and Table 1, what is your inference?

The cork floats on the petrol, water and sand because it has lower density than those
substances.

ii) What can be said about the density of a substance that floats in a more dense liquid?
The substance has lower density than the liquid.

iii) What can be said about the density of a substance that sinks in a less dense liquid?
The substance has higher density than the liquid.

8. Draw the water level in the ballast tank of a submarine to enable it to float on the surface
or sink in the water.

a) Submarine floating on the b) Submarine sinking in the water

surface of water

9. i) Predict the position of ice and mercury if all the substances were put together in a
measuring cylinder.
Ascending density order: cork, petrol, ice, water, sand and mercury.
 ii) Draw a suitable diagram and label the substances.

Cork

Petrol
Ice
Water

Sand
Mercury

iii) What will happen to a cork if a stone is tied to it?

The cork will sink.

10. i) Classify water, petrol, sand, cork, ice cube and mercury into two groups based on their
densities.

Substance Density [gcm-3]

Mercury 13.6
Ice 0.92
Petrol 0.75
Sand 2.6
Water 1.0
Cork 0.25
Table 2

Higher density than water Lower density than water

Sand Cork
Mercury Petrol
Ice

ii) What other criteria can be used to group them? Explain the method used.

11. Define ‘less dense’ operationally.

Have lower density than the other substances.

Conclusion : Hypothesis is accepted. Different solids and liquids have different densities.