Final answer:
To calculate the density of an irregular shaped object like a rock, measure its mass, then measure the volume by water displacement, and use the formula Density = Mass / Volume.
Step-by-step explanation:
Calculating the Density of an Irregular Shaped Object
To calculate the density of an irregular shaped object such as a rock, you first need to measure its mass. You can do this using a balance or scale. The next step is to determine the volume of the object, which can be a bit trickier for an object that doesn't have a regular shape.
One common method is to utilize the water displacement technique, which involves submerging the object in a graduated cylinder filled with water. Note the volume of water in the cylinder before and after the object is submerged. The difference between these two measurements gives you the volume of the object due to water displacement.
After you've acquired both the mass and the volume, you calculate density with the formula: Density = Mass / Volume. So, for a 240-g rock that displaces 89.0 cm³ of water, the density would be calculated as follows: Density = 240 g / 89.0 cm³ which simplifies to approximately 2.70 g/cm³.