Urban Edge Education Centre

Physics Lesson 5 Mass, weight and Density

Mass
• Mass is a measure of the quantity of matter in an object at rest relative to the observer
o Mass is a scalar quantity
o The SI unit for mass is the kilogram (kg)

• Consequently, mass is the property of an object that resists change in motion

o The greater the mass of an object, the more difficult it is to speed it up, slow it down,
or change its direction
• A mass may sometimes be given in grams (g)
o 1000 g = 1 kg
o 1 g = 0.001 kg

Worked example

An object has a mass of 2.7 kg.

State the number of grams in 2.7 kg.

Weight
• Weight is a gravitational force on an object with mass
o Weight is a force, so it is a vector quantity
o The SI units for force are newtons (N)

EXTENDED

• Weight is the effect of a gravitational field on a mass

• Weight is defined as:

The force acting on an object due to gravitational attraction

• Planets have strong gravitational fields

o Hence, they attract nearby masses with a strong gravitational force
• Because of weight:
o Objects stay firmly on the ground
o Objects will always fall to the ground
o Satellites are kept in orbit
 Some of the phenomena associated with gravitational attraction and the weight force

• The weight of a body is equal to the product of its mass (m) and the acceleration of free fall
(g)

• You can rearrange this equation with the help of the formula triangle:

Use the formula triangle to help you rearrange the equation

Gravitational Field Strength

• Gravitational field strength is defined as:

The force per unit mass acting on an object in a gravitational field

• On Earth, this is equal to 9.8 N/kg

• Gravitational field strength is also known as acceleration of free fall, or acceleration due to
gravity
o In this context the units are m/s2

• The value of g (gravitational field strength) varies from planet to planet depending on their
mass and radius
• A few examples of varying gravitational field strength are shown below:
 Gravitational field strength of the planets in our solar system

Mass v Weight

• An object’s mass always remains the same, however, its weight will differ depending on the
strength of the gravitational field on different planets
• For example, the gravitational field strength on the Moon is 1.63 N/kg, meaning an object’s
weight will be about 6 times less than on Earth

On the moon, your mass will stay the same but your weight will be much lower

Using a Balance
• The weight of two objects can be compared using a balance
o Because the gravitational field strength is constant everywhere on Earth, this also
allows us to measure the mass of an object

A balance can be used to compare two different weights

 Density
• Density is defined as:

The mass per unit volume of a material

• Objects made from low density materials typically have a low mass
• Similarly sized objects made from high density materials have a high mass
o For example, a bag full of feathers is far lighter compared to a similar bag full of metal
o Or another example, a balloon is less dense than a small bar of lead despite occupying a
larger volume

• Density is related to mass and volume by the following equation:

• Gases, for examples, are less dense than solids because the molecules are more spread out (same
mass, over a larger volume)

Gases are less dense than solids

• This equation can be rearranged with the help of the formula triangle:

Density, mass, volume formula triangleThe units of density depend on what units are used for mass and
volume:

o If the mass is measured in g and volume in cm3, then the density will be in g/cm3
o If the mass is measured in kg and volume in m3, then the density will be in kg/m3
• This table gives some examples of densities on common materials
o If a material is more dense than water (1000 kg/m3), then it will sink
 Approximate Densities of Materials Table

• The volume of an object may not always be given directly, but can be calculated with the
appropriate equation depending on the object’s shape

Volumes of common 3D shapes

A paving slab has a mass of 73 kg and dimensions 0.04 m × 0.5 m × 0.85 m.

Calculate the density, in kg/m3, of the material from which the paving slab is made
 Measuring Density
Equipment List

• Resolution of measuring equipment:

o 30 cm ruler = 1 mm
o Vernier calipers = 0.01 mm
o Micrometer = 0.001 mm
o Digital balance = 0.01 g

Experiment 1: Measuring the Density of Regularly Shaped Objects

• The aim of this experiment is to determine the densities of regular objects by using
measurements of their dimensions

Variables:

• Independent variable = Type of shape / volume

• Dependent Variable = Mass of the object

• An example of a results table might look like this:

Analysis of Results

• Calculate the volume of the object depending on whether it is a cube, sphere, cylinder (or
other regular shape)

Calculating the volume of an object depends on its shape

Experiment 2: Measuring the Density of Irregularly Shaped Objects

• The aim of this experiment is to determine the densities of irregular objects using a
displacement technique

Variables:

• Independent variable = Different irregular shapes / mass

• Dependent variable = Volume of displaced water
Method

Apparatus for measuring the density of irregular objects

• Alternatively, the object can be placed in a measuring cylinder containing a known volume
of liquid, and the change in volume then measured

When an irregular solid is placed in a measuring cylinder, the level of the liquid will rise by
an amount equal to the volume of the solid

• Once the mass and volume of the shape is known, its density can be calculated

• An example of a results table might look like this:

 Experiment 3: Measuring Density of Liquids

• The aim of this experiment is to determine the density of a liquid by finding a difference in
its mass

Variables:

• Independent variable = Volume of water added

• Dependent variable = Mass of cylinder

Method

Apparatus for determining the density of a liquid

• An example of a results table might look like this:

 Floating Objects
Upthrust

• Upthrust is a force that pushes upwards on an object submerged in a fluid i.e. liquids and
gases
• It is always in the opposite direction to the object's weight
o This is why boats, and objects that are less dense than water, float
• The size of the upthrust depends on the density of the fluid as well as the volume of fluid
that is displaced (which is equal to the volume of the object)
o The denser the liquid, the greater the upthrust it will exert on an object

Upthrust is in the opposite direction to the weight of the boat and the fisherman

Factors Affecting Floating & Sinking

• Whether an object sinks or floats depends on the upthrust:

o If the upthrust on an object is equal to (or greater than) the object’s weight, then the
object will float
o If the upthrust is smaller than the weight then the object will sink

• The outcome also depends on the object's density:

o If it has a density less than the density of the fluid it is immersed in, the object
will float
o If it has a density more than the density of the fluid it is immersed in, the object
will sink
• This is because if the density of the object is greater than the density of the fluid, the object
can never displace enough fluid to create an upthrust that will hold its weight up (and
therefore sinks)
 Objects which are less dense than water will float and which are more dense will sink

• A polystyrene block will float in water

o This is because polystyrene has a density of 0.05 g/cm 3 which is much less than the
density of water (1.0 g/cm3)
• A wooden block will be partially submerged but will still float
o This is because the density of a wooden block (0.9 g/cm3) is slightly less than the
density of water
• An iron block will sink
o This is because iron has a density (7.9 g/cm3) that is much higher than water

Floating Liquids
EXTENDED

• A liquid with a lower density will float on a liquid with a higher density if the liquids do not
mix

Lower density liquids float on higher density liquids as long as the liquids do not mix

Worked example

Liquid A has a density of 0.76 g/cm3 and liquid B has a density of 0.93 g/cm3.

If the two liquids do not mix, which liquid will float on top of the other?