Density, Volume, Mass and Matter

Liquid Density Experiment

 We started creating layers of liquids to show how the same volume of liquid can have very different densities.  Our first layer (from the bottom upwards) was honey, followed by corn syrup with blue food colouring in it.  Next came milk, dish soap, water (dyed red) , rubbing alcohol (dyed green) and finally vegetable oil.

 After discussing what liquids were more dense and why we added a few other items to the mix to see what they would do.  Some were challenging to observe because they got lost in the liquids.

 First we dropped in a nut and bolt, which were clearly the most dense and fell straight to the bottom.

 Next came the cherry tomato and we're not entirely sure where it is.  We suspect it's in the red water level.

 The bead sank slowly and eventually settled between the dish soap and the milk.

 The popcorn kernel went as far as the clue corn syrup.

 And the ping pong ball stayed afloat on the oil.

  After this experiment we also used 2 large marshmallows to who how objects that are essentially identical can have different densities, especially if we alter how tightly packed their atoms are.  We squished up one marshmallow and left the other in its original state, then we placed them both in water.  While they both floated, the squished one floated more than half way below the water surface unlike the other which stayed almost entirely above the water surface.

Density

Volume

I wasn't sure how our Chemistry Unit would go since chemistry is most definitely NOT my area of strength.  However, as we ease into it I'm finding that it's pretty basic.  Today we covered how to measure the volume of both rectangular solids as well as irregular solids.  Good thing we had borrowed some graduated cylinders from the learning center a week or two ago.  In the end Mckenzie switched the thumb tack for a set of keys because the tack didn't really 'register' as it was too small and we were using bigger units.  It was nice to cover both math and science at the same time.  Our days always seem shorter when he also has to do his paper route.