American Chemical Society
Changing the Density of a Liquid - Adding Salt
Fourth in a set of several little lessons on density, this one compares the density of fresh and salt water. First by demonstration, and then by a hands-on activity, learners find that adding salt increases the density, as is evidenced...
American Chemical Society
Changing the Density of an Object - Adding Material
In this sixth of seven activities revolving around the concept of density, physical science fans figure out if anything can be done to change the density of an object. Demonstrate by placing a can of regular and a can of diet soda into a...
American Chemical Society
Changing the Density of a Liquid - Heating and Cooling
During a unit on density, pupils ponder whether or not temperature affects this property. By carefully inserting blue cold water and yellow hot water into a room-temperature sample, they will see the answer. Make sure to have done the...
American Chemical Society
Comparing the Density of an Object to the Density of Water
Investigators construct a makeshift balance and compare equal volumes of wax and water. They do the same for clay and water. Then they discover whether the wax and clay will float or sink in water. Ultimately this is a comparison of...
American Chemical Society
Changing the Density of an Object - Changing Shape
Continuing with the concept of volume and its effect on density, learners now work with a piece of clay to see if they can get it to float in water. This is a memorable end to a seven-part investigation of density. Make sure to check out...
Baylor College
Moving Air
In lab groups, young scientists place aluminum cans with a bubble-solution cap into different temperatures of water to see what size of bubble dome forms. As part of an atmosphere unit in preparation for learning about convection...
Polar Trec
Nature's Density Column
Nature provides density columns in the polar regions that provides food for many animals. Young scientists build their own density columns with water in order to answer analysis questions. Through a slideshow presentation, scholars...
LABScI
Population Dynamics: The Predator-Prey Lab
Wolves eat better when the bunny population increases, but how long does that last? A series of 12 biology lessons uses the sixth installment to explore the predator-prey relationship between bunny and wolf populations. Young scientists...
Curated OER
Mystery Liquids: Linear Function
High schoolers determine the linear equations of the density of water and oil by collecting data on the mass of various volumes of each liquid. They construct scatter plots from the data and use these to write the linear equations for...
Curated OER
How Sweet It is! A Colorful Sugar Solution Density Column
Students examine the affect of density. Using a graduated cylinder and equally prepared volumes of sugar-water solutions and food color, students observe a sugar rainbow. They discover that the greater the amount of sugar in the...
American Chemical Society
Investigating the Line
Note that this lesson is best paired with the preceding lesson in the unit. In that lesson, elementary physical scientists observed that the color coating of M&Ms® candies do not mix when dissolved off of the chocolate surface. Now...
Curated OER
Come On Down!
Begin with an introduction to famous deep-sea submersibles. Learners work in groups to gather information on different vessels and then share with the class. Each group then uses water displacement to help calculate the density of...
Curated OER
Comparing the Density of Iron
Students use scientific measuring tools to collect and use scientific data. They determine the density of four different objects by using their data to explain why objects have similar/different densities even though they are both made...
Curated OER
Discovering Density
Students explore the physical properties of density. In this hands-on lesson, students calculate density and distinguish between intensive and extensive properties.
Curated OER
Density and Buoyancy Lesson Plan
Students investigate why some objects float or sink in water. In this physics lesson, students calculate the density of clay ball using a mathematical equation. They write a complete lab report about the experiment.
Curated OER
Density of Liquids
Students explore the density of liquids. In this scientific inquiry lesson plan, students discover the density of water, corn syrup, and cooking oil through an experiment. In addition, students will draw and label pictures of the...
Curated OER
Density Discoveries
Learners participate in Density Discoveries, which is a hands-on learning opportunity for students to find the mass, volume, and density of solid matter.
Curated OER
What Floats Your Boat?
This open-ended boat building exercise is meant to be part of a three-activity series on ships. Links to the other two lessons are included. This particular part is mostly a group lab activity in which they build a boat, find its load...
Curated OER
Investigation of Crystallinity in Polymeric Materials
A kaleidoscope is constructed using polarizing polymer paper and then low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, and polypropylene are all melted onto individual glass slides and examined through a microscope. The intent is to...
Curated OER
Addition Polymerization: Preparation of Polystyrene Using Two Types of Initiators
Advanced chemistry classes compare the polymerization of styrene using two different initators: benzoyl peroxide and aluminum chloride. Once they synthesize polystyrene, they compare the two producet for melting point and density. There...
Curated OER
Just How Thick is Aluminum Foil Anyway???
Students determine the density and thickness of a piece of aluminum foil. In this density and thickness of materials lesson plan, students experimentally find the density of a piece of aluminum foil and compare it to the theoretical...
Curated OER
Weighing a Dinosaur
Learners role play as paleontologists who make inferences about the weight of dinosaurs. They use models and the density of water to make these inferences.
Curated OER
Chemquest: Physical Changes or Chemical Reactions
Young scholars explore physical and chemical changes. For this chemistry lesson plan, students will go outside to observe changes seen in nature. Young scholars will then work in the lab to identify changes at different stations prior to...
Curated OER
Investigating Properties of Water: Temperature
Investigate how temperature affects the density of water and stratification that occurs in bodies of water when temperatures vary. Water of differing temperatures is given different colors to see the layers that form. The lesson is meant...