Name
Date
1.1 Act 5
Pd
Exploring the Mass – Volume Relationship
Materials:

Materials for each group:
• Balance
• Graduated cylinder(s)
• Metric ruler
• Overflow can (optional)
Five different-sized samples of one of the
following samples of matter:
Water
Different sizes of Styrofoam blocks
Paper clips
Oil
Blocks of wood
Copper shot
Part 1:
1. The mass and the volume of a substance do not tell you much about the nature of the
substance itself, but perhaps there is a useful relationship between mass and volume. Record
your basic experimental design, your data in an organized fashion, and be prepared to share
your data and your conclusions with the other groups.
2. Did everyone use the same approach? Did everyone reach the same conclusion? Record
notes from other groups below, and the consensus about representing the data by your class.
©American Modeling Teachers Association 2014
1
MSS Gr 8 U1.1 Act 5
Part 2: Unknown Metal
1. Your group has been given a sample of an unidentified block. Find the density of the block,
and then compare it to a table of known densities of various blocks. Can you determine what
your block probably is?
Aluminum
Copper
Oak
Brass
Zinc
C Pine
F PVC
Steel
Block Density
2.85 g/ml
8.9 g/ml
.76 g/ml
9.2 g/ml
8.1 g/ml
.87 g/ml
1.4 g/ml
J 8.1 g/mL
2. Describe what you did to determine the identity of the unknown block.
3. Show your work on any calculations you have done.
4. What unknown block does your group have? _____________________________
©American Modeling Teachers Association 2014
2
MSS Gr 8 U1.1 Act 5