EIS 6: Density
Workbook
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Sink or Swim?
For the first part of this activity, we want to help you develop some concept of the relative density of common “stuff”.
Materials
- 1 large bowl or bucket of water. You can also fill a sink with a plug.
- 5 common household items that easily fit in this bucket and can get wet (you choose).
Protocol
1. Gather 5 common household items that will fit in your bowl/bucket/sink full of water and can get wet. (Be sure to get the approval of your relevant responsible adult if you’re not sure).
2. Look at your "Sink or Swim" chart in your workbook and fill in the names of your 5 items.
3. Put each item in the water and determine if it sinks or floats. Write down your observations.
4. Try putting this item in the water at a different angle, or pushing it under and then letting go versus gently setting it on top of the water. Does your observation still hold true?
2. Look at your "Sink or Swim" chart in your workbook and fill in the names of your 5 items.
3. Put each item in the water and determine if it sinks or floats. Write down your observations.
4. Try putting this item in the water at a different angle, or pushing it under and then letting go versus gently setting it on top of the water. Does your observation still hold true?
Clay Balls: Density is a Physical Propety
As you’ve learned, density is a physical property of elements. That means that even if you change the quantity or shape of a material, it will still have the same density. Put that to the test here!
Materials
Ball of something easily moldable, like clay or PlayDoh
Bowl, bucket, or sink full of water
Bowl, bucket, or sink full of water
Procedure
1. Take a lump of your clay (or something similar) and squish it. Now drop it in water and see what happens. Does it sink or swim?
2. Now try reshaping it. What happens now?
3. Try reshaping it a few different ways and see what happens.
4. Now try adding more clay, or taking some away. What happens now?
5. Is there any way that you can mold your clay or any amount of clay that you can use that changes whether it sinks or floats?
2. Now try reshaping it. What happens now?
3. Try reshaping it a few different ways and see what happens.
4. Now try adding more clay, or taking some away. What happens now?
5. Is there any way that you can mold your clay or any amount of clay that you can use that changes whether it sinks or floats?
Lava Lamps and Protocol Development
In this activity, you’ll be making your very own lava lamp. This activity will make full use of what you learned about density (and more!), so be sure to review the lesson if there is something you don’t understand!
Materials
(you don’t need all of these, and you shouldn’t need to purchase additional materials):
In real science experiments, researchers use protocols to conduct experiments. But where did these protocols come from to begin with? Well, they come from other researchers who took educated guesses and mixed and matched up various compounds to produce a certain effect. A famous example of this is Western Blotting, a 4 hour long procedure to identify various proteins and amino acids. Can you imagine? A four hour long procedure! Think about how much time and effort it took to develop and refine it!
Using what you know about density and chemical reactions, develop your own protocol for making a lava lamp. A lava lamp looks like this (you do not need to watch all 4 hours, of course):
- 1 container of Alka-Seltzer (~30 pills)
- ½ cup of baking soda
- A maximum of 3 cups of vegetable oil
- 3 cups of water
- 1 bottle of Maple Syrup
- A maximum of 3 cups of liquid soap. For example dish soap, hand soap, shampoo, or liquid laundry detergent.
- A maximum of 2 cups of vinegar
- Food coloring (optional)
- Glitter (optional)
- A container. A small plastic or glass bottle or clear cup works well. We recommend a resealable container if you plan on keeping your lava lamp.
In real science experiments, researchers use protocols to conduct experiments. But where did these protocols come from to begin with? Well, they come from other researchers who took educated guesses and mixed and matched up various compounds to produce a certain effect. A famous example of this is Western Blotting, a 4 hour long procedure to identify various proteins and amino acids. Can you imagine? A four hour long procedure! Think about how much time and effort it took to develop and refine it!
Using what you know about density and chemical reactions, develop your own protocol for making a lava lamp. A lava lamp looks like this (you do not need to watch all 4 hours, of course):
You might want to try out a couple of different materials and methods to see what works best. You may use none or all of the materials listed above—you can even try other materials if you want to! However, we strongly encourage that you minimize waste by limiting your experiments to the amount of supplies that you have listed above.
Try writing out your protocol using the worksheet on page 2 of your workbook, and once you're done with that move to page 3 of your workbook to write out and refine your scientific observations. A big characteristic of a scientist is to observe, so this part is important!
Lastly, have fun! If you’re proud of your work, we want to see it! If you have an Instagram and the permission of your relevant responsible adult, share a photo or video with us @eons_learning, #LavaLampEons.
Try writing out your protocol using the worksheet on page 2 of your workbook, and once you're done with that move to page 3 of your workbook to write out and refine your scientific observations. A big characteristic of a scientist is to observe, so this part is important!
Lastly, have fun! If you’re proud of your work, we want to see it! If you have an Instagram and the permission of your relevant responsible adult, share a photo or video with us @eons_learning, #LavaLampEons.
Content contributors: Rebecca Deng, Emma Moulton