Density Formal Lab Report
Name
Professors Name
Date
Purpose/Objective:
Determine density of a product for a plastic manufacturing facility. Provide quality control by making sure the physical properties are within design specifications. Density is defined as the ratio of an object’s mass to its volume, measured by dividing mass by volume (density = mass/volume). This was accomplished using two different experimental methods, displacement and floatation. The theory is that both methods should have the same density results; the goal is to determine which method is “best”.
1st Method: Displacement
This method was first known as Archimedes ' principle. The principle states that a body immersed in a fluid is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the displaced fluid. (REF: www.infoplease.com) Our group measured density with different amounts of product, knowing that intensive properties can’t be added or subtracted when you add or take away some of the substance no matter how much you have of it.
In this experiment the plastic product was placed in a graduated cylinder with water 4 separate times per group member, totaling 16 experiments. First determined was the mass of the product by weighing on the scale, next determined was the displaced volume by subtracting the final volume from the initial volume of water in the graduated cylinder. The mass of the product was divided by the displaced volume to determine the density. Ranges of density for all 16 experiments were precise readings of 1.02%-1.07% with a group average of 1.04% - refer to Table #1.
2nd Method: Floatation
In this experiment the plastic product was placed in a graduated cylinder with water 2 separate times per group member totaling 8 experiments. Glycerin was added and stirred vigorously to raise the product; ethanol and distilled water were added and stirred vigorously to lower the product. Once the product was at equilibrium the product was weighed. The