Question

A student is trying to identify an unknown mineral by finding its density. He finds the mass of the mineral to be 15.32 g. To find the volume, he added 25.7

mL of water to a graduated cylinder and then added the mineral. The water level then rose to 32.3 mL.
What is the identity of the mineral?
A Quartz
B Gypsum
C Halite
D Fluorite
Density (g/mL)
2.16
2.32
2.65
2.72
3.18
Mineral
Halite
Gypsum
Quartz
Calcite
Fluorite

Answer 1

B.) Gypsum

Step-by-step explanation:

Density represents the mass of a substance for every 1 unit volume (g/mL). You have been given the mass but need to find the volume. The volume can be found using the water displacement method (subtracting the initial volume of the water from the final volume).

Initial Volume: 25.7 mL

Final Volume: 32.3 mL

Final Water Volume - Initial Water Volume = Volume of the Mineral

32.3 mL - 25.7 mL = Volume of the Mineral

6.6 mL = Volume of the Mineral

The density can be calculated by dividing the volume from the mass.

Mass: 15.32 g

Volume: 6.6 mL

Density = mass (g) / volume (mL)

Density = 15.32 g / 6.6 mL

Density = 2.32 g/mL

According to the reference given, the mineral with a denisty of 2.32 g/mL is gypsum.