Question

suppose you find a chunk of what appears to be gold in the sand at the beach. devise a simple experiment to determine whether or not you’ve struck it rich. please list all lab equipment required and list the specific steps you would take.

Answer 1

Measure the density by the displacement of water

Equipment

• Balance

• Graduated cylinder

Procedure.

1. Use the balance to determine the mass (m) of the chunk
2. Add enough water to the graduated cylinder to cover the chunk and record the volume (V_1).
3. Slide the chunk down the inside of the cylinder and record the new volume (V_2).

Calculate the

1. volume (V) of the chunk (V = V_2 - V_1)
2. density (D) of the chunk (D = m/V)

If D = 19.3 g/cm^3, the chunk is gold.