Densities of Different Liquids

Friday and today we did a lab that where students were trying to figure out why a poker chip would float on a container of salt water and sank in containers of rubbing alcohol and regular water. On Friday, the students measured quantities of several different liquids, weighed them, and calculated the density of each of the liquids. If they did their measurements properly, they should have found that the density of the rubbing alcohol was about .87g/mL, the water was 1 g/mL, and the salt water was 1.06 g/mL.

Today we made a graph showing the volumes of the liquid compared to the masses of the liquids, compared the density of the liquids, calculated the density of the poker chip, and compared the density of the poker chip to the density of the three liquids. Students now need to write their conclusions as to why the poker chip floats in the salt water, but not in the plain water or the rubbing alcohol.

Students should write their conclusions using the usual format.
They should: State their original hypothesis.
Tell if their hypothesis was correct or incorrect.
Use data to demonstrate why their hypothesis is correct or incorrect.
State how their thinking has changed.

We went over all the data and questions in class and students should have everything completed except their conclusions. We even discussed how their conclusions should include how the density of the poker chip is greater than the two liquids in which the poker chip sank, but density of the poker chip was lower than the density of the liquid in which it floated.

DUE DATE!!!: Reports will be turned in on Wednesday! I have already collected my 3rd period because they had 20 minutes in class to finish their conclusions.