Our work today uses the concepts of mass and volume from lesson 4 and connects them into a formula used to describe a physical property of matter: density.  We can calculate density using the equation density = mass / volume.  Students should come away with an understanding of what density is and how it can be used to provide evidence in support of the identity of a substance.  Students should also recognize the limitations of density in making such a determination.

We will begin the lesson with the ChemCatalyst from the Lesson 05 PowerPoint.  Students will learn the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic properties of matter, and then they will work with their element groups to calculate the density of a variety of different materials using both rulers and water displacement to measure volume.

Students who finish early may complete the mass and volume Gizmos from yesterday and/or read Lesson 5 from the textbook in preparation for the quiz on Friday covering Lessons 1-5.

Notes from class:




Extend Your Learning!

According to, the density of gold is 19,300 kg/m³.  According to your textbook, the density of gold is 19.3 g/cm³.  Use dimensional analysis to connect the densities, given that there are 1,000 grams in 1 kilogram (1,000 g = 1 kg) and 1,000,000 cm³ in 1 m³.  The video below can help you through the process:

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