Final answer:
The unknown metal is most likely made of aluminum (Option A) because the calculated density of 6.08 g/cm³ is closest to aluminum's density of 2.70 g/cm³. This is obtained by calculating the density of the cube using its mass and volume and comparing it to the densities of the suggested metals.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine which metal the cube is made of, we need to calculate its density and then compare it to the densities of the given metals.
Density is mass divided by volume.
The formula to calculate density (ρ) is ρ = mass/volume.
The cube's volume can be calculated using the formula for the volume of a cube (V = side³).
The side of the cube is given as 0.250 cm. Thus, the volume (V) is (0.250 cm)³ = 0.015625 cm³.
With a mass (m) of 0.095 g, we can calculate the density of the cube: ρ = 0.095 g / 0.015625 cm³ = 6.08 g/cm³.
Now we compare this calculated density to the densities of the given options:
- Aluminum: 2.70 g/cm³
- Iron: ~7.87 g/cm³ (varies slightly)
- Copper: 8.96 g/cm³
- Lead: 11.34 g/cm³
The calculated density is closest to that of aluminum, making it the most likely metal the cube is made of.
Hence, the correct answer is Aluminum (Option A).