Earth Science Lab Activities on Density

Density is a property of matter. In Earth Science, students study the density of various forms of matter. Lab activities help students make real life connections to abstract concepts like density. Working with lab partners and small groups also helps students build teamwork and problem solving skills. The activities in this article are appropriate for middle school students.

Gummy Bear Lab

Give each student a gummy bear. Have students measure: length, width and thickness to the nearest tenth of a centimeter. Tell students to calculate the volume of the bear by multiplying these measurements and rounding to the nearest hundredth. Instruct students to measure to the nearest 10th-gram the bear's mass using a triple-beam balance. Derive the bear's density by dividing mass by volume and rounding to the nearest hundredth. Have students record all measurements. Have students place the bears in cups with the students' names written on the cups and pour 50 milliliters of water on top. Let the bears sit in the water until the next day. Have students remove the bears from the water and gently dry the bears on a towel. Have students repeat all the measurements took the day before and record the answers. Have the students calculate the changes and then create a graph.

Coke vs. Diet Coke Density Lab

Pass unopened cans of Coke and Diet Coke around the class. Have students list all the characteristics observed about each can, including similarities and differences. Fill an aquarium three-fourths full with water. Put the two soda cans into the aquarium. The Diet Coke can will float, but the Coke can will not. Ask students to brainstorm the reason for the difference. Show students a beaker with 39 grams of sugar and a beaker of 188 milligrams of Nutra Sweet. Give each pair of students a Coke can and a Diet Coke can. Have the students measure the mass and volume of the cans and use these amounts to calculate the density. Have students hypothesize the comparative densities of other drinks and let the students test their hypotheses.

Density of Solids Lab

Students will calculate the density of solid objects: an aluminum bar, an aluminum cube, an aluminum sphere, a plastic sphere and three objects of the students' choice. Have students measure and record the mass in grams of each object with a scale. Instruct students to measure the volume of each item with a metric ruler: volume = length X width X height. Tell students to use these measurements to calculate the density of the objects: density = mass/volume.

Deposition or Settling Time Lab

Give each pair of students three particles that are the same size but have different densities: a plastic ball, a glass ball and a steel ball. Allow students to determine the densities of each by weighing each, measuring volume through water displacement, and calculating density (density = mass/volume). Have students hypothesize which particle will have the fastest settling time. Set up a column on a ring stand. Fill the column with water to one inch below the top. Have students drop the plastic ball into the column and record the deposition time. Tell students to repeat the process for the glass and steel balls. Have students record the settling rates for each ball and compare the results with hypotheses.