Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Solid and Liquid Density Investigation
For this activity, students investigate whether objects and liquids float or sink when placed in water. As they proceed, they will develop an understanding of what density is. Student handouts are provided.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole Oceanography Institute: Activity: Demo for Density
In this experiment, students look at Deep Hypersaline Anoxic Basins, or DHABs, that are present in the Eastern Mediterranean, and make a model of a DHAB to investigate how liquids that have different densities can form layers. This...
American Chemical Society
Inquiry in Action: Comparing the Density of Different Liquids
How do the densities of vegetable oil, water, and corn syrup help them to form layers in a cup? Students will carefully pour vegetable oil, water, and corn syrup in any order into a cup and discover that regardless of the order they are...
American Chemical Society
Inquiry in Action: Changing the Density of a Liquid: Heating and Cooling
In this activity, students will investigate whether the temperature of water affects its density. Students will place colored hot and cold water in a cup of room-temperature water to see that cold water sinks while hot water floats. Then...
American Chemical Society
Inquiry in Action: Changing the Density of a Liquid: Adding Salt
In this activity, students will see that a carrot slice sinks in fresh water and floats in saltwater. Considering the placement of the carrot slice in water and salt water, students will infer that the density of salt water must be...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Biology: Specific Heat, Heat of Vaporization, and Density of Water
Why does ice float? In this article answer that question by learning about the topics of Specific heat capacity, evaporative cooling, and heat of vaporization of water.
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Comparing Liquid Density
Because different liquids have different properties, density also differs. In this lesson from the Illinois Institute of Technology, students will calculate densities of water, dish-washing detergent, cooking oil, and other liquids.
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Density: Sink and Float for Liquids
Young scholars determine whether a liquid will sink or float in water by comparing its density to the density of water.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Density & Miscibility
After students conduct the two associated activities, Density Column Lab - Parts 1 and 2, present this lesson to provide them with an understanding of why the density column's oil, water and syrup layers do not mix and how the concepts...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Density Column Lab Part 2
Concluding a two-part lab activity, students use triple balance beams and graduated cylinders to take measurements and calculate densities of several household liquids and compare them to the densities of irregularly shaped objects (as...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Layering Liquids
A lab activity to show students how different densities of liquid layer on top of each other by using four different colored liquids that contain different levels of salinity. This activity can also be used in an ocean unit where...
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Finding Volume: Water Displacement Method
Students use the water-displacement method to find the volume of different rods that all have the same mass.
Science Struck
Science Struck: How to Find Volume With Water Displacement Method
Tells the story of how Archimedes discovered the Archimedes Principle and his water displacement method for determining the volume and density of an object. Provides an explanation and several examples of how it is done.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Can Water Float on Water?
Of course it can, you say: ice is water and ice floats. And you're right. But we're talking about water in the liquid phase Can liquid water float on water? The goal of this project is to investigate what happens to layers of water with...
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Density Sink and Float for Liquids
See how different liquids can have different densities depending on their molecular make-up.
Climate Literacy
Clean: What Happens to Ice in Water?
Students investigate the properties of water in the ice and liquid phase as it relates to convection in the ocean and density driven circulation, and ultimately the climate.
Other
Lapeer County Schools Science Resources: Density Lab
A simple lab experiment for students to find the density of two solids and a liquid (does not use water displacement). Note that number 1d should not state "weighs" since mass is being found.
Science Museum of Minnesota
Science Museum of Minnesota: Thinking Fountain: Density
An introduction to density, mass, and volume with links to related books and activities.
Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies
Mocomi: Why Oil and Water Don't Mix
Investigate the science behind this age old question. Find out the role density and polarity play in the liquids.
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Density of Water
Discover how the molecular make-up of water affects its density.
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Temperature and Density
Learn how the molecular movement in different temperature water affects the density of the liquid.
My Science Site
Thinking Fountain: Liquid Layers [Pdf]
Students contrast the densities of oil and water in this lab activity. Can be done in groups or individually. This resource is in PDF form; requires Adobe Reader.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Water Density
Demonstrate the effect that dissolving different amounts of salt in water has on the density of the liquid.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Who Is on Top?
Learners investigate density in this activity when they try to find out if oil or water has a higher density.