Definition

Density is defined as the ratio of mass to volume, that is the mass of a sample divided by the volume of the sample. If you have a larger sample, it will weigh more. But it will also have a proportionately larger volume. So the ratio of the mass to the volume will remain the same. Density is called an intrinsic property because its value does not depend on how much of the sample you have, but rather what the sample is made of.

Four copper samples of differnt size. {104vol18.jpg (16200 bytes)}

0.115g = 8.9g/mL
0.0129mL

1.308g = 8.9g/mL
0.147mL

37.129g = 8.9g/mL
4.16mL

44.162g = 8.9g/mL
4.95mL

So, density is the relationship between the mass of a material and the volume that it occupies. Specifically, it is the amount of mass per unit of volume or the amount of mass divided by the volume. Generally, we use grams per milliliter when dealing with solids and liquids. If we were to measure the density of gases, we would generally use grams per liter because it takes a larger volume to get a measurable mass.

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E-mail instructor: Eden Francis