Ancient Water-Displacement Archimedean Density Lab
A challenging, hands-on discovery and STEM project designed for curious young minds aged 10 to 14.
Materials Needed
- • Digital kitchen scale (0.1g or 1g precision) (1 unit)
- • Graduated cylinder (100–250 mL) or precise liquid measuring beaker (1 unit)
- • Diverse solid metal objects (iron bolt, brass key, aluminum slug) (3 objects)
- • Thin nylon thread (50 cm)
- • Reference density chart for common metals (1 sheet)
Pro Tips
- → Calculate density using the formula: Density = Mass (grams) / Volume (milliliters). 1 mL of displaced water equals 1 cm³.
- → Weigh the dry metal piece on a digital gram scale first, then lower it on a thread into water to read the exact displaced volume.
- → Compare the measured density against reference values: Iron = ~7.8 g/cm³, Brass = ~8.5 g/cm³, Aluminum = ~2.7 g/cm³.
Safety First
Handle heavy metal items with care to avoid dropping on toes or cracking glass containers.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Weigh three different metal objects (e.g., steel bolt, brass key, aluminum bracket) on a digital kitchen scale and record mass in grams.
Step 2
Fill a graduated measuring cylinder with water to an exact baseline mark (e.g., 100 mL).
Step 3
Tie thread around object 1, lower it into the cylinder, and record the new water level to calculate displaced volume in milliliters.
Step 4
Divide mass by volume for each object to find density in g/cm³, and compare with reference charts to confirm material identities.