____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Food Science 10
Nobnom___________
Unit 1: The Food Science Lab
Lab #3: Relationship between Mass and Volume
October 2015

Name: ___Supichaya
Nickname:____Pizza_______________

Introduction: There is a relationship between the mass and the volume of an object of a specific
material. The mass can be determined using an electric balance to record its weight in grams. The
volume of an object can be determined by calculating the amount of water displaced in a
graduated cylinder when the object is placed into water. By determining the mass and volume of an
object of a specific material, you can find its density. In this lab experiment you will be discovering
how to determine the density of an object using graphs and mathematical equations, instead of
simply searching for the formula for density on the internet.
Purpose: To see how mass and volume are related to determine density by experimental data. To
demonstrate how graphs can connect ideas from Science and Math.
Materials:
Electronic Balance
50-mL Graduated Cylinder
4 Sample of the Same Material (3 Materials)
Water
Ruler
Procedure:
1. Obtain three different types of material for your group. Each material has 4 sample sizes.
2. Find the mass of each of the sample sizes. Record in your data table.
3. Find the volume of each of the sample sizes by determining the amount of water displaced by
the object.
a. Set up a graduated cylinder and put 25 mL of water into it. Read the volume and write it
down.
b. Tip the graduated cylinder and gently slide one of the objects into it. DO NOT allow
water to splash out.
c. If the object floats, gently push it down with a pencil, until it is submerged under the
water. Do not push too hard.
d. Record the new volume of the water. Subtract the volume of the water from the
combined volume of the water
and object together. The result is the volume of the object. Record in your data table.
Data Table:
Title: ___Find the mass and volume of different materials________________
Smallest Sample

Small Sample

Medium Sample

Large Sample

Type of Material
Mass(g) Volume(mL)
Mass(g)
Poly propylene

4.31

Poly vinyl Chloride 6.61

Acrylic

5.47

Volume(mL)
Mass(g)

5.0 7.08

7.0 9.67

5.0 10.85
4.5 8.95

Volume(mL)
Mass(g)

Volume(mL)

9.0

12.41

12.0

8.0 15.12

11.0

19.80

15.0

7.9 12.41

10.5

15.96

13.0

Graph #1 Title: _____The mass and volume of different sizes Poly Propylene ______
20

15

Mass (g)

10

0
15

10

20
Volume (mL)

Graph #2 Title: ________ The mass and volume of different sizes Polyvinyl Chloride_________
20

15

Mass (g)

10

0
15

10

20
Volume (mL)

Graph #3 Title: _______ The mass and volume of different sizes Acrylic___________
20

15

Mass (g)

10

0
15

10

20
Volume (mL)

Discussion (Analyzing Results) Questions:

1.

Find the slope of the graphed line from the data for the first material _Poly Propylene _.
Follow these steps:
a. Mark two points on the line, and label them A and B. The points should be on the line
and far apart. Try to choose points that will make it easy to read the volume and mass
measurements.
b. Point A corresponds to a volume of ____2 mL___________, and a mass of _____2
g____________.
Point B corresponds to a volume of ____9.6 mL___________, and a mass of ____10
g_____________.
c. Use your answers from part b above to calculate the rise and run:
Rise = _______9.6____________ minus ___ 2_____________ = _____7.6_____________.
Run = ______10____________ minus ______2___________ = _______8___________.
(Did you remember to include the units of measurement in your work above?)
d. Now calculate the slope:
Slope = rise divided by run = ___0.95 g/mL__________________.
2.
Find the slope of the graphed line from the data for the second material ____Polyvinyl
Chloride___. Follow these steps:
a. Mark two points on the line, and label them A and B. The points should be on the line
and far apart. Try to choose points that will make it easy to read the volume and mass
measurements.
b. Point A corresponds to a volume of ___3 mL________, and a mass of ______4 g_________.
Point B corresponds to a volume of ___6 mL____________, and a mass of ______8
g________.
c. Use your answers from part b above to calculate the rise and run:
Rise = ____8________________ minus _____4_____________ = _______4___________.
Run = ____6________________ minus _____3_____________ = ________3__________.
(Did you remember to include the units of measurement in your work above?)
d. Now calculate the slope:
Slope = rise divided by run = _____1.33 g/mL__________.
3.
Find the slope of the graphed line from the data for the third material ____Acrylic______.
Follow these steps:
a. Mark two points on the line, and label them A and B. The points should be on the line
and far apart. Try to choose points that will make it easy to read the volume and mass
measurements.
b. Point A corresponds to a volume of ____4 mL_________, and a mass of ______5 g________.
Point B corresponds to a volume of ____15 mL___________, and a mass of ______18
g___________.
c. Use your answers from part b above to calculate the rise and run:
Rise = _____18_______________ minus ____5___________ = _______13___________.
Run = ______15______________ minus _____4_____________ = _____11___________.
(Did you remember to include the units of measurement in your work above?)
d. Now calculate the slope:
Slope = rise divided by run = _____1.18 g/mL________.
Note: All parts of a straight line have the same, constant slope. When a mathematical constant
is discovered as the result of scientific experiments, it is often given a name. The slope you have
just calculated is called the density of that material.
4.

In your answers to question 1, the rise corresponds to __mass____ of the material, while
the run corresponds to the __volume____ of the material. This leads to the formula for density,
which is __mass divided by volume__.

5.

Research the actual density for each of your materials. Determine your accuracy.
Polypropylene: The density of polypropylene that I calculated is 0.95g/mL, it was only 0.05
away from the original density 0.90g/mL So the density that I had calculate was quite accurate
to the actual density.

Polyvinyl Chloride: The density that I calculated was very accurate because my density was
only 0.03g/mL away from the actual density of polyvinyl Chloride, which is 1.37g/mL
Acrylic: The density of acrylic that I had calculate is 1.18 g/mL which is very close to the actual
density, 1.17 g/mL so I was very accurate for calculating the mass and volume of this material.

Conclusion

From the experiment, I have found the mass and volume for different materials. I have
used those mass and volume to calculate the density for each material by divided the
mass by the volume. The density for Poly propylene, Polyvinylchloride and Acrylic were
very accurate and close to the actual density, this means that the experiment and the
graphs I did were also accurate.