Mass, Volume, and Density

Think about holding a piece of cork in your hand, and then think about holding a piece of lead of the same size. You are probably aware that cork would “feel” lighter than the lead object. Instead of comparing their mass or volume, what you are comparing is their densities. Density is a physical property of a substance. The density does not depend on the size or shape of an object, because as its mass increases, so does its volume.

Essential Questions

• What is density?
• How do you calculate the density of matter?