Name______Core______Date______

Mass, Volume, and Density Data Sheet

Complete each section as you rotate through each station. Be careful about where you are recording your data. The stations will not necessarily be in the same order as your sheet!

Measuring Mass Using a Triple Beam Balance

Object / Mass (in grams)
  1. Which object has the most mass?
  1. Which object is the least massive?
  1. What is the most difficult part of using the triple beam balance?

Measuring Volume Using Length X Width X Height

Object / Length (cm) / Width (cm) / Height (cm) / Volume (cm3)
  1. Why is the unit for volume cm3 instead of just cm?
  1. Which object had the most volume?
  1. Did the object with the most volume seem to be the heaviest?

Measuring Volume Using Water Displacement

Object / Starting Level (mL) / Ending Level (mL) / Volume (mL)
  1. Which object had the least volume?
  1. Did the object with the least volume seem to be the lightest weight?
  1. Why is this method best for measuring objects that have irregular shapes?

Calculating Density

Object / Mass (g) / Volume (cm3) / Density (g/cm3)
  1. Which object is the least dense?
  1. Which object is the densest?
  1. List the objects in order from least to most dense.

Mass Measurement Station

Mass is the amount of matter in an object. A balance is a tool that scientists use to calculate the mass of an object. The unit of mass in this activity is grams (g).

For each object, repeat the following steps:

  1. Slide all three weight poises (the metal brackets that slide along the three beams) to their leftmost positions.
  2. Place the object to be weighed on the center of the pan.
  3. Slide the 100-gram poise right one notch at a time. When the indicator drops below the fixed mark, move the poise left one notch.
  4. Slide the 10-gram poise right one notch at a time. When the indicator drops below the fixed mark, move the poise left one notch.
  5. The 100- and 10- gram poises must be exactly in a notch or the mass will not be accurate!
  6. Slide the 1-gram poise slowly across the third beam. There are no notches, so keep an eye on the pointer as you slide. Stop sliding when the pointer lines up with the fixed mark.
  7. Add the values of all three beams to determine the mass of your object. For example, add 400 + 80 + 7, resulting in an object mass of 487 grams.

Volume Measurement Station (Length X Width X Height)

Volume is the amount of space that matter occupies. To find the volume of a regularly shaped object, multiply the length by the width, by the height. The unit of volume in this activity is cubic centimeters (cm3), which is equal to milliliters (mL).

  1. Measure the length, width, and height of each object using the metric side of the ruler.
  2. Fill in each measurement in your data table.
  3. For the last column, use the calculator to multiply the three measurements to get the volume.

Volume Measurement Station (Water Displacement)

Volume is the amount of space that matter occupies. To find the volume of an irregularly shaped object, use the displacement method. The unit of volume in this activity is milliliters (mL), which is equal to cubic centimeters (cm3).

  1. Fill the graduated cylinder with adequate water. When placed in the cylinder, the object must be fully submerged in the water. Also, be careful not to put in so much water that the water level will rise past the graduated cylinder's markings when the object is submerged.
  2. Record the volume of the water prior to submerging the object in the “Starting Level” column.
  1. Place the object in the graduated cylinder and record the resulting water volume in the “Ending Level” column.
  2. Subtract the volume of the water alone from the volume of the water plus the object. For instance, if “Starting Level" was 50 milliliters and "Ending Level" was 25 milliliters, the volume of the irregularly shaped object would be 25 milliliters.

Density Calculation Station

Different objects may have the same mass but not the same volume. For example, one pound of rocks and one pound of grapes may have the same mass, but they probably do not have the same volume. You can compare these objects by finding their densities. The density of an object is the ratio of its mass to its volume. To find the density of an object, divide its mass by its volume, or D = M/V. The unit of density is g/cm3, which is read “grams per cubic centimeter.”

  1. Pick one of the cards, and record the object, its mass, and its density on your data table.
  2. In the last column, determine the density by dividing the mass by the volume.
  3. Repeat for each of the cards until you have calculated all densities.
  4. Answer the questions below the data table.