Question

Which procedure could a student use to examine an intensive property of a rectangular block of wood?

Option 1: Find the mass.
Option 2: Record the length.
Option 3: Measure the volume.
Option 4: Determine the density.

Answer 1

To evaluate an intensive property of wood, measuring density is correct as it remains consistent regardless of the sample size. Mass and volume must first be determined, then density is computed using the mass-to-volume ratio.

Step-by-step explanation:

To examine an intensive property of a rectangular block of wood, a student should choose option 4: Determine the density. Density is defined as the mass of the substance divided by its volume and is an intensive property because it is characteristic of the substance and does not change with the sample size. The density of a substance is calculated by dividing its mass by its volume. In this case, the mass can be measured using a balance, while the volume can be calculated by multiplying the length, width, and height of the block. Therefore, a student could measure the mass of the block using an analytical balance and then calculate the volume by multiplying its length, width, and height. Finally, the student would calculate the density by dividing the measured mass by the calculated volume.