Final answer:
To find out what material the ingot is made of, we calculate its density by dividing its mass (234.96 grams) by its volume (12.08 cm³), resulting in a density of approximately 19.45 g/cm³. This is very close to the density of gold, which is 19.3 g/cm³, suggesting the ingot may be gold or a gold alloy.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the material of the ingot found in the pawn shop, we need to calculate its density. Density is defined as the mass of an object divided by its volume, and for each material, it has a characteristic value. Gold, for example, has a density of 19.3 g/cm³.
To find the density of the ingot, we will use the formula density (ρ) = mass (m) / volume (V). The given mass of the ingot is 234.96 grams, and the given volume is 12.08 cm³. By dividing the mass by the volume, we get the density of the ingot.
Now, let's perform the calculation:
ρ = m / V
ρ = 234.96 g / 12.08 cm³
ρ = 19.45 g/cm³
This result is very close to that of gold's density of 19.3 g/cm³. However, the density we calculated is slightly higher than this, which might indicate the presence of impurities, a measuring error, or possibly some other high-density material. Nonetheless, it is close enough to suggest that the ingot is most likely made of gold or a gold-based material.