Density
Debbie Kang Period 6
Objective
Use the density formula to solve for density, volume, or mass of a substance given the other two quantities.
Density Formula
Sometimes you may only have two known values, and you will need to solve for the unknown value. This will make you manipulate the equation to your convenience.
Density
When density (D) is the unknown quantity, you will plug in the volume (V) and mass (M) into the equation and solve. The solution to the equation will be the density (D).
Mass
When mass (M) is the unknown quantity, you will first manipulate the density formula to solve for the mass (M). Once you have manipulated the equation, you will plug in the volume (V) and density (D) into the equation to find the mass (M).
To manipulate the equation follow the following steps:
Step 1
Multiply both sides by the volume (V), so the volume will be moved to the other side.
Step 2
The volume (V) will cancel out on the right side of the equation. Then only the mass (M) will be left on the right side, and density (D) multiplied by volume (V) will be on the left side of the equation.
Step 3
The final equation will be mass (M) is equal to density (D) multiplied by volume (V).
Volume
When volume (V) is the unknown quantity, you will first manipulate the density formula to solve for the volume (V). Once you have manipulated the equation, you will plug in the mass (M) and density (D) into the equation to find the volume (V).
To manipulate the equation follow the following steps:
Step 1
Multiply both sides by the volume (V), so the volume will be moved to the other side.
Step 2
The volume (V) will cancel out on the right side of the equation. Then only the mass (M) will be left on the right side, and density (D) multiplied by volume (V) will be on the left side of the equation.
Step 3
The new equation is mass (M) equals density (D) multiplied by volume (V).
Step 4
Now you divide by density (D) on both sides, and it will cancel out the density (D) on the left side leaving volume (V) alone. On the right side it will become mass (M) divided by density (D).
Step 5
The final equation is volume (V) equals mass (M) divided by density (D).
Extra Notes
- Don't forget your measurements!
- You can also plug in your known values into the original density formal, and then manipulate the equation from there and solve.
Using the Density Formula Quiz
Click on the blue button above to start. Round to the nearest hundredths.