How to Determine the Density of a Metal Using Simple Experiment

What is the density of the metal?

Based on the experiment conducted by a student, the density of the metal is approximately 4.87 g/mL. How did the student come up with this result?

Step-by-Step Calculation Process

In order to determine the density of the metal, the student followed these steps:

1. Calculate the mass of the metal.
2. Calculate the volume of the metal.
3. Calculate the density of the metal.

Step 1: Calculate the mass of the metal

The student first weighed the empty stoppered flask and found it to have a mass of 33.695 g. After placing pieces of metal into the flask until it was about three-fourths full, the total mass of the flask and metal was determined to be 145.953 g. By subtracting the mass of the empty flask from the mass of the flask with metal, the student obtained the mass of the metal, which was 112.258 g.

Step 2: Calculate the volume of the metal

Since the flask was about three-fourths full, the student calculated the volume of the metal by taking three-fourths of the total volume of the flask, which was 30.73 mL. The volume of the metal was determined to be 23.0475 mL.

Step 3: Calculate the density of the metal

The density of a substance is defined as its mass divided by its volume. By dividing the mass of the metal (112.258 g) by its volume (23.0475 mL), the student calculated the density of the metal to be approximately 4.87 g/mL, as stated in the experiment result.