Show:
Calculating Density
Will it Float?
Misc. Models
Sand and Silt and Pebbles Oh My!
Random
100
Calculate the density of a chunk of pyrite if it has a mass of 12.0 grams and a volume of 3.0 ml.
What is 4.0 g/ml
100
If the density of a liquid is 1.0 g/ml, will an object with a density of 1.5 g/ml sink or float when placed in the liquid?
It will sink, because the object has a greater density than the liquid.
100
How do we know that the mantle is a plastic, not solid like the crust?
Lava that comes out through volcanoes is like magma, or the molten rock that makes up the mantle.
100
Why does silt stay suspended in water so long?
Silt is made of tiny particles that are just barely more dense than water. They stay mixed in water longer than sand or pebbles.
100
Give an observation which shows that oil is less dense than water.
Oil droplets from the engines of cars drop onto the asphalt in parking lots. When it rains, these oil droplets rise to the top of the water on the parking lot and create a rainbow of colors as they reflect the light.
200
Calculate the density of a piece of sandstone if it has a volume of 4.0 ml and a mass of 12.0 g.
What is 3.0 g/ml
200
If a red liquid layers on top of a yellow liquid, what do you know about the liquids?
The yellow liquid is more dense than the red liquid.
200
Even though a raised relief globe has bumps to show where the mountains are, and is shaped in a sphere, just like the real earth, explain why it is an inaccurate model.
A raised globe is inaccurate because the mountains are not to scale. They should not be that tall.
200
Which of the following would be carried the farthest downstream? Boulders, pebbles, silt, sand, medium rocks
Silt - because it has the smallest particle size and will stay mixed with the water for the longest time.
200
If you come across a dry streambed which is covered in smooth rocks, with no visible sand or silt, what inference can you make about the stream at this point?
Since there is no sand visible, all of it must have washed downstream. This means that the stream was flowing quickly at this point and the sand and silt stayed suspended in the water.
300
A block of wood measures 5 cm long by 4 cm tall by 6 cm wide. When placed on the triple beam balance, the mass reads 100 + 40 + 2 + 3 little lines. What is the density of the block of wood?
1.2 g/cm3
300
Would it be a good idea to create a life preserver out of a substance with a density of 1.0 g/ml? Explain.
No, it would not be a good idea. The life jacket itself would float in the middle of the depth of the lake. If someone was wearing the jacket, it would be much more dense than water and the person would sink and drown.
300
What evidence supports the theory that the outer core is made of a liquid?
When seismic waves go from the plastic mantle to the liquid outer core, they change speed and change direction. We used math to calculate the speed and "bend" of the waves to determine that the outer core is a liquid. We will never be able to sample the outer core.
300
If two cans of chicken noodle soup (one containing 2 liters and one containing 400 ml) fall from the deck of a boat into a lake, which one will hit the bottom first?
The larger can will hit first. They both have the same density, but the larger can will move through the water faster.
300
You are making a root beer float and you notice that no matter which ingredient you add first, the ice cream scoop always floats at the top of the glass, and the root beer is always on the bottom. Why?
The root beer sinks to the bottom because it is more dense than the ice cream, even though root beer is a liquid and ice cream is a solid.
400
The mass of a Lego-Man is 5.5 grams. When placed in vegetable oil, the volume of the oil raises by 6 ml. What is the density of the Lego-Man?
What is 0.9 g/ml (Volume doesn't care if you use water or another liquid. Why couldn't we use water?)
400
In Italian salad dressing, the little diced onion and garlic pieces layer in between the oil and the vinegar. What does this tell you about the density of the onion and garlic?
The onion and garlic pieces have a density in between oil and vinegar. They are more dense than vinegar and less dense than oil.
400
If an empty latex balloon is filled with air, what would happen to its density?
The mass of the balloon would increase just slightly because the mass of the air was added to the balloon. However, the volume of the balloon would increase a lot. This means that the density would decrease because the particles would be more spread apart.
400
If a geode (hollow rock) is cracked open, filled with sand, then glued back together, what happens to the density of the geode?
The mass of the geode increases, but the volume stays the same, so the density of the geode will increase.
400
Why is the atmosphere more dense near the earth than near outer space?
The layers of the atmosphere near the earth are under pressure from all the layers above, so it packs the particles tighter in the layer on the bottom.
500
A student is measuring the density of ocean water. Whe measures the mass of her empty graduated cylinder as 120 grams. She pours 40 ml of the liquid into her graduated cylinder then measures the mass again as 165 grams. What is the density of the ocean water?
Density is 1.1 g/ml
500
Japanese yen (coins) are made of very lightweight metal, and weigh only about 1 gram each, and will actually float on water. If the size of the yen were increased to 3 grams, would it still float? Explain.
Yes, the yen would still float, because density is the same for a substance, no matter the weight of the substance.
500
How does pressure affect density of the layers of the earth?
As we move toward the center of the earth, the pressure from the layers above increases, and squishes the particles closer together, so the layer becomes more dense.
500
If a boulder with a density of 3.0 g/cm3 comes crashing down a hillside, and breaks exactly in half as it lands, what will the density of the broken chunk be?
The broken chunk would still have a density of 3.0 g/cm3 because density does not change.
500
Explain why we might modify our model of the earth sometime in the future.
The current model of the earth is based on evidence. If we create new technology which gives us new evidence to say that the inner earth is different than what we think now, we will use that new evidence to create a new model.