TWO SIMPLE INVESTIGATIONS INTO DENSITY.

SIMPLE - YES! BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE SCIENCE?

1 FLOATING BOAT
Materials
Scissors
Ruler
Aluminium foil
Paper clips (10)
Container about 3/4 full of water

Procedure
1. Cut two 30cm squares from the aluminium foil
2. Wrap one of squares of aluminium foil tightly around the 10 paper clips and squeeze the foil into
a tight ball
3. Place the ball on the surface of the water and observe what happens.
4. Fold the other square of aluminium foil into a small boat.
5. Put the 10 paper clips into the boat.
6. Put the boat onto the surface of the water and observe what happens.

It is probably quite obvious what should happen. Both experiments use the same size of aluminium foil
and the same number of paper clips, yet one sinks and the other floats. Now, in your notebooks, explain
your observations and results.

2 HYDROMETER
A hydrometer is used to measure the density of a liquid. We can make a simple hydrometer in the lab.

Materials
Container about 3/4 filled with water
Plasticine
Salt
Teaspoon (about 15 ml)
Cap from a pen

Procedure
1. Put enough plasticine in the cap of the pen, so that it just sinks in the water.
2. Add one spoonful of salt to the water and gently stir and dissolve it.
3. Observe and change in position of the cap of the pen.
4. Continue to add spoonfuls of salt one at a time, gently stirring each, until 75 ml have been added.
5. Observe the position of the cap of the pen in the water after each spoonful of salt has been added.

Results
The cap of the pen rises as more salt is added to the water.

Explanation
In your notebooks, try to explain what is going on. Use scientific language.