In a physics wet lab, you are likely looking for the mass and thickness of a material, usually measured with a balance and determined via water displacement in a graduated cylinder. This helps in studying density, buoyancy, and the material's properties.
In a physics wet lab, when you are asked to weigh an irregularly shaped piece of shiny yellowish material and then submerge it in a graduated cylinder, you are typically looking for the mass and thickness of the material. The procedure involves measuring the mass using a balance and determining the volume of the substance by the displacement of water in a graduated cylinder, which can then be used to find the density (mass per unit volume) and possibly identify the material. In the case of determining the mass of a piece of household aluminum foil, the mass can be calculated given the foil's dimensions and thickness.
The measurement of mass is critical because it is a fundamental property of matter that does not change regardless of location, in contrast to weight which can vary with gravity. Having students measure mass and thickness provides hands-on experience with the principles of matter and helps them grasp the relationships between mass, volume, density, and buoyancy. In the context of an experiment involving aluminum foil, students can explore how geometry and density affect the foil's ability to carry cargo when fashioned into a 'boat' and placed in water.