Defining Density

Density is an important property of matter. It reflects how packed the particles of matter are. When particles are packed together more tightly, matter has greater .

To better understand density, think about a bowling ball and volleyball, pictured in the Figure below. Imagine lifting each ball. The two balls are about the size, but the bowling ball feels much than the volleyball. That’s because the bowling ball is made of , which contains a lot of particles of matter. The volleyball, in contrast, is full of , which contains fewer, more particles of matter. In other words, the matter inside the bowling ball is than the matter inside the volleyball.

The density of matter is actually the amount of in a given . The amount of matter is measured by its , and the space matter takes up is measured by its . Therefore, the density of matter can be calculated with this formula:

Density= /

What is the density of a liquid that has a volume of 30 mL and a mass of 300 g?

A: The density of the liquid is:

Mass = g
Volume = mL
Density = g/ml