Question
Density Simulation Name:
____________________
PhET
1. Define the following:
Mass:
______________________________________________________________________
Volume:
____________________________________________________________________
Density:
____________________________________________________________________
2. Density is a property of matter that can be calculated by dividing the mass of the substance
by its volume. Write this as a mathematical equation:
________________________________
3. Open up the Density simulator and click “Intro.
” The substance that the simulation begins
with is wood, which appears to be in a tank of water. Describe everything you notice about the
wood. (Don’t touch any of the controls just yet.)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. Fill in the information:
Mass of Wood Volume of Wood
5. Using the equation from above, calculate the density of the wood. (The units will be kg/L.)
____________________________________________________________________________
6. Move either the mass or volume control to a different number. Record the information below:
Mass of Wood Volume of Wood
7. Again, use your equation and calculate the density. Don’t forget to include the units!
____________________________________________________________________________
8. Switch the substance to brick. Describe everything that you notice about the brick.
____________________________________________________________________________
9. Record the mass and volume of the brick in the table below. Use the equation to calculate
the density. Then, change the mass and volume, record those results and calculate the density.
Repeat that one more time.
Mass of Brick Volume of Brick Density of Brick
Density Simulation Name:
____________________
PhET
10. Switch the substance to styrofoam. styrofoam?
What happened to the substance when you switched to
____________________________________________________________________________
11. Record the mass and volume of the styrofoam in the table below. Use the equation to
calculate the density. Then, change the mass and volume, record those results and calculate
the density. Repeat that one more time.
Mass of Styrofoam Volume of Styrofoam Density of Styrofoam
Analysis/Conclusion Questions
1. For a particular substance, how did the density change as the mass and volume changed?
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Is density a physical property or a chemical property? Justify your answer with evidence.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Rank/list the substances from least dense to most dense. Back in the simulation, click on
the substances in that order. What do you notice when you do that?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. Back in the simulation, change the substance to water. Based on observations only (no
calculations, where do you think that it fits into your rankings from question 3? Justify your
answer with evidence.
_________________________________________________________
Inquiry: Your turn!
Play around with either creating a custom substance or use the “Compare” or “Mystery” tabs.
Below, tell me what you did and something new that you learned!
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
____________________
PhET
1. Define the following:
Mass:
______________________________________________________________________
Volume:
____________________________________________________________________
Density:
____________________________________________________________________
2. Density is a property of matter that can be calculated by dividing the mass of the substance
by its volume. Write this as a mathematical equation:
________________________________
3. Open up the Density simulator and click “Intro.
” The substance that the simulation begins
with is wood, which appears to be in a tank of water. Describe everything you notice about the
wood. (Don’t touch any of the controls just yet.)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. Fill in the information:
Mass of Wood Volume of Wood
5. Using the equation from above, calculate the density of the wood. (The units will be kg/L.)
____________________________________________________________________________
6. Move either the mass or volume control to a different number. Record the information below:
Mass of Wood Volume of Wood
7. Again, use your equation and calculate the density. Don’t forget to include the units!
____________________________________________________________________________
8. Switch the substance to brick. Describe everything that you notice about the brick.
____________________________________________________________________________
9. Record the mass and volume of the brick in the table below. Use the equation to calculate
the density. Then, change the mass and volume, record those results and calculate the density.
Repeat that one more time.
Mass of Brick Volume of Brick Density of Brick
Density Simulation Name:
____________________
PhET
10. Switch the substance to styrofoam. styrofoam?
What happened to the substance when you switched to
____________________________________________________________________________
11. Record the mass and volume of the styrofoam in the table below. Use the equation to
calculate the density. Then, change the mass and volume, record those results and calculate
the density. Repeat that one more time.
Mass of Styrofoam Volume of Styrofoam Density of Styrofoam
Analysis/Conclusion Questions
1. For a particular substance, how did the density change as the mass and volume changed?
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Is density a physical property or a chemical property? Justify your answer with evidence.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Rank/list the substances from least dense to most dense. Back in the simulation, click on
the substances in that order. What do you notice when you do that?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. Back in the simulation, change the substance to water. Based on observations only (no
calculations, where do you think that it fits into your rankings from question 3? Justify your
answer with evidence.
_________________________________________________________
Inquiry: Your turn!
Play around with either creating a custom substance or use the “Compare” or “Mystery” tabs.
Below, tell me what you did and something new that you learned!
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Answers
GPT-4o mini
### Density Simulation Name:
**PhET**
1. **Define the following:**
- **Mass:** The amount of matter in an object, typically measured in kilograms (kg) or grams (g).
- **Volume:** The amount of space an object occupies, usually measured in liters (L) or cubic centimeters (cm³).
- **Density:** A property of matter that indicates how much mass is contained in a given volume, calculated as mass divided by volume.
2. **Mathematical equation for density:**
\[ \text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}} \]
3. **Description of Wood:**
In the simulation, the wood appears lighter than the water and floats on the surface. It has a specific shape and retains its form, appearing solid with a distinct color (typically brown). The wood has visible features such as texture and may have some knots.
4. **Fill in the information:**
- **Mass of Wood:** [Insert Mass]
- **Volume of Wood:** [Insert Volume]
5. **Density of Wood Calculation:**
\[ \text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass of Wood}}{\text{Volume of Wood}} \]
\[ \text{Density of Wood} = \frac{[Insert Mass]}{[Insert Volume]} \, \text{kg/L} \]
6. **Changed Mass and Volume:**
- **Mass of Wood:** [Insert New Mass]
- **Volume of Wood:** [Insert New Volume]
7. **New Density Calculation:**
\[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert New Mass]}{[Insert New Volume]} \, \text{kg/L} \]
8. **Description of Brick:**
When switched to brick, the substance appears much more solid and has a denser texture than wood. It likely has a rectangular shape and a more uniform color, often gray or red. The brick sinks in water, indicating higher density.
9. **Brick Data:**
| Mass of Brick | Volume of Brick | Density of Brick |
|---------------|-----------------|------------------|
| [Insert Mass] | [Insert Volume] | \[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert Mass]}{[Insert Volume]} \] |
| [Insert New Mass] | [Insert New Volume] | \[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert New Mass]}{[Insert New Volume]} \] |
| [Insert New Mass] | [Insert New Volume] | \[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert New Mass]}{[Insert New Volume]} \] |
10. **Observation of Styrofoam:**
When switched to styrofoam, the substance is much lighter and less dense than both wood and brick. Styrofoam floats on water due to its low density and has a soft, spongy appearance.
11. **Styrofoam Data:**
| Mass of Styrofoam | Volume of Styrofoam | Density of Styrofoam |
|--------------------|---------------------|----------------------|
| [Insert Mass] | [Insert Volume] | \[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert Mass]}{[Insert Volume]} \] |
| [Insert New Mass] | [Insert New Volume] | \[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert New Mass]}{[Insert New Volume]} \] |
| [Insert New Mass] | [Insert New Volume] | \[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert New Mass]}{[Insert New Volume]} \] |
### Analysis/Conclusion Questions
1. **Density Change:**
The density remains constant for a given substance as mass and volume change proportionally. If mass increases while volume increases in the same ratio, the density stays the same.
2. **Physical or Chemical Property:**
Density is a physical property because it does not involve changing the chemical composition of the substance. It can be measured and observed without altering the substance’s identity.
3. **Ranking of Substances from Least Dense to Most Dense:**
- Styrofoam
- Wood
- Brick
Upon ranking, I notice that the substances float or sink in water according to their density; less dense substances float while denser ones sink.
4. **Water Observation:**
I would expect water to fit between wood and brick in terms of density, as it is denser than wood, which floats, but less dense than brick, which sinks. Water also floats styrofoam and wood, which further supports this ranking.
### Inquiry: Your turn!
During the simulation, I created a custom substance with specific mass and volume values. I learned that by adjusting the mass or volume, I was able to see how density changes dynamically. This helped me understand the relationship between these properties more intuitively.
**PhET**
1. **Define the following:**
- **Mass:** The amount of matter in an object, typically measured in kilograms (kg) or grams (g).
- **Volume:** The amount of space an object occupies, usually measured in liters (L) or cubic centimeters (cm³).
- **Density:** A property of matter that indicates how much mass is contained in a given volume, calculated as mass divided by volume.
2. **Mathematical equation for density:**
\[ \text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}} \]
3. **Description of Wood:**
In the simulation, the wood appears lighter than the water and floats on the surface. It has a specific shape and retains its form, appearing solid with a distinct color (typically brown). The wood has visible features such as texture and may have some knots.
4. **Fill in the information:**
- **Mass of Wood:** [Insert Mass]
- **Volume of Wood:** [Insert Volume]
5. **Density of Wood Calculation:**
\[ \text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass of Wood}}{\text{Volume of Wood}} \]
\[ \text{Density of Wood} = \frac{[Insert Mass]}{[Insert Volume]} \, \text{kg/L} \]
6. **Changed Mass and Volume:**
- **Mass of Wood:** [Insert New Mass]
- **Volume of Wood:** [Insert New Volume]
7. **New Density Calculation:**
\[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert New Mass]}{[Insert New Volume]} \, \text{kg/L} \]
8. **Description of Brick:**
When switched to brick, the substance appears much more solid and has a denser texture than wood. It likely has a rectangular shape and a more uniform color, often gray or red. The brick sinks in water, indicating higher density.
9. **Brick Data:**
| Mass of Brick | Volume of Brick | Density of Brick |
|---------------|-----------------|------------------|
| [Insert Mass] | [Insert Volume] | \[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert Mass]}{[Insert Volume]} \] |
| [Insert New Mass] | [Insert New Volume] | \[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert New Mass]}{[Insert New Volume]} \] |
| [Insert New Mass] | [Insert New Volume] | \[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert New Mass]}{[Insert New Volume]} \] |
10. **Observation of Styrofoam:**
When switched to styrofoam, the substance is much lighter and less dense than both wood and brick. Styrofoam floats on water due to its low density and has a soft, spongy appearance.
11. **Styrofoam Data:**
| Mass of Styrofoam | Volume of Styrofoam | Density of Styrofoam |
|--------------------|---------------------|----------------------|
| [Insert Mass] | [Insert Volume] | \[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert Mass]}{[Insert Volume]} \] |
| [Insert New Mass] | [Insert New Volume] | \[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert New Mass]}{[Insert New Volume]} \] |
| [Insert New Mass] | [Insert New Volume] | \[ \text{Density} = \frac{[Insert New Mass]}{[Insert New Volume]} \] |
### Analysis/Conclusion Questions
1. **Density Change:**
The density remains constant for a given substance as mass and volume change proportionally. If mass increases while volume increases in the same ratio, the density stays the same.
2. **Physical or Chemical Property:**
Density is a physical property because it does not involve changing the chemical composition of the substance. It can be measured and observed without altering the substance’s identity.
3. **Ranking of Substances from Least Dense to Most Dense:**
- Styrofoam
- Wood
- Brick
Upon ranking, I notice that the substances float or sink in water according to their density; less dense substances float while denser ones sink.
4. **Water Observation:**
I would expect water to fit between wood and brick in terms of density, as it is denser than wood, which floats, but less dense than brick, which sinks. Water also floats styrofoam and wood, which further supports this ranking.
### Inquiry: Your turn!
During the simulation, I created a custom substance with specific mass and volume values. I learned that by adjusting the mass or volume, I was able to see how density changes dynamically. This helped me understand the relationship between these properties more intuitively.