A graduated cylinder contains 50 mL of water. You carefully place a rock into the cylinder, causing the water level to rise to 70 mL. If the mass of the rock is 100 grams, explain how to calculate the density of the rock in two to four sentences. Describe each step of the process and provide the final density value for full points. You may write your answer in complete sentences or as a numbered/bulleted list but you must explain all steps for full points.

3 answers

To calculate the density of the rock, follow these steps:

  1. Determine the Volume of the Rock: The initial water level was 50 mL, and it rose to 70 mL after the rock was placed in the cylinder. The volume of the rock is calculated by subtracting the initial water level from the final water level:
    Volume of the rock = 70 mL - 50 mL = 20 mL.

  2. Convert Volume to Liters (if necessary): Since density is often expressed in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³), and 1 mL is equivalent to 1 cm³, the volume of the rock is 20 cm³.

  3. Use the Density Formula: Density is calculated using the formula:
    Density = Mass / Volume.
    In this case, the mass of the rock is 100 grams, and the volume is 20 cm³.

  4. Calculate the Density: Plug the values into the formula:
    Density = 100 grams / 20 cm³ = 5 g/cm³.

Thus, the density of the rock is 5 g/cm³.

put it in a sentences short it and make it like a 8th grader

To find the density of the rock, first, calculate its volume by measuring the rise in water level in the graduated cylinder. The water level went from 50 mL to 70 mL, which means the rock's volume is 20 mL (or 20 cm³). Next, use the formula for density, which is mass divided by volume. The rock weighs 100 grams, so the density is 100 grams divided by 20 cm³, which equals 5 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³). So, the density of the rock is 5 g/cm³.