This activity starts with the students measuring the density of water (the basis of the metric units system) and then they go onto calculating the densities for some other materials such as metal, rock, potato and wood. To do this they measure the mass of each object and then they measure its volume using Eureka Cans. Eureka Cans are easy to make using plastic jugs or 1L plastic olive containers and plastic straws. With mass and volume measurements for the object, it is possible to calculate its volume easily.
This activity is connected to the Matter unit. The students will use a simple equation to calculate density and with real numbers, they can classify why some things float while others sink. The activity is fun and quite messy with water spilling onto the floor. Beware with calculators: The students need to divide the mass by the volume and most calculators have
÷ as the divide sign.
Link to activity (pdf):
Density Activity
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