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How is density calculated and how can it be determined for rock and mineral samples in a lab?
Measure density by dividing the mass or weight of a sample by its volume. Written out, the formula for calculating density is: D = M/V, where D = density (g/mL), M = mass (g), and V = volume (mL). Record the density of each sample on your chart in grams per milliliter (g/mL).
What is density determination?
Mathematically, density is calculated as a substance’s mass per the volume it occupies. The Greek symbol “ρ” is normally used to denote density in the physical sciences. To obtain the density of a substance, its mass and volume are determined by measurement.
How do you find density without mass and volume?
A simple method based on the moment of forces and Archimedes’ principle is described for finding density without measuring the mass and volume of an object. The method involves balancing two unknown objects of masses M1 and M2 on each side of a pivot on a metre rule and measuring their corresponding moment arms.
What is the density of rocks and minerals?
The densities of rocks and minerals are normally expressed as specific gravity, which is the density of the rock relative to the density of water. This isn’t as complex as you may think because water’s density is 1 gram per cubic centimeter or 1 g/cm 3. Therefore, these numbers translate directly to g/cm 3, or tonnes per cubic meter (t/m 3).
How do you calculate the density of a boulder?
What is your boulder’s density? Density is mass divided by volume, In this case the mass is 1000g and the volume is 400 cm 3, so you divide 1000g by 400 cm 3 to get 2.5 g/cm 3 . Another tricky thing about density is that you can’t add densities.
How do you find the density of an object?
Density is the mass of an object divided by its volume. Density often has units of grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm 3). Remember, grams is a mass and cubic centimeters is a volume (the same volume as 1 milliliter). A box with more particles in it will be more dense than the same box with fewer particles.
What is the density of a liquid in grams?
Liquids often have densities of about 1.0 g/cm 3, and indeed, fresh water has a density of 1.0 g/cm 3. Rocks often have a density around 3 g/cm 3, and metals often have densities above 6 or 7 g/cm 3. How do I calculate specific gravity? To calculate the specific gravity (SG) of an object, you compare the object’s density to the density of water: