student exploration: density experiment: slice and dice\nvocabulary: density, mass, matter, volume\nprior…

student exploration: density experiment: slice and dice\nvocabulary: density, mass, matter, volume\nprior knowledge questions (do these before using the gizmo.)\n1 what do you think would happen if you threw a block of polystyrene (styrofoam™) into the water?\n2 what would happen if you broke the styrofoam up into lots of pieces, then threw the pieces into water?\n3 what would happen if you threw a big rock into water?\n4 what would happen if you broke the rock into little pieces, then threw the pieces into water?\ngizmo warm - up\nthe density experiment: slice and dice gizmo allows you to compare different - sized pieces of the same material.\n1 check that polystyrene is selected. drag the whole polystyrene piece into the water.\ndoes it sink or float?\n2 click reset, and then click slice to cut the polystyrene into pieces. drag each piece into the water and then back to the block.\nwhat happens?\n3 how do you think the amount of a material affects its tendency to sink or float?

student exploration: density experiment: slice and dice\nvocabulary: density, mass, matter, volume\nprior knowledge questions (do these before using the gizmo.)\n1 what do you think would happen if you threw a block of polystyrene (styrofoam™) into the water?\n2 what would happen if you broke the styrofoam up into lots of pieces, then threw the pieces into water?\n3 what would happen if you threw a big rock into water?\n4 what would happen if you broke the rock into little pieces, then threw the pieces into water?\ngizmo warm - up\nthe density experiment: slice and dice gizmo allows you to compare different - sized pieces of the same material.\n1 check that polystyrene is selected. drag the whole polystyrene piece into the water.\ndoes it sink or float?\n2 click reset, and then click slice to cut the polystyrene into pieces. drag each piece into the water and then back to the block.\nwhat happens?\n3 how do you think the amount of a material affects its tendency to sink or float?

Answer

Brief Explanations:

  1. Polystyrene is less dense than water, so it would float as a whole block.
  2. Breaking it into pieces doesn't change its density, so the pieces would also float.
  3. A big rock is denser than water, so it would sink.
  4. Breaking the rock into pieces doesn't change its density - related property of being denser than water, so the pieces would sink. In the Gizmo warm - up: 1. The whole polystyrene piece floats as it is less dense than water. 2. The pieces of polystyrene float too as density is a characteristic property not affected by size. 3. The amount of a material doesn't affect its tendency to sink or float as long as its density relative to the liquid remains the same.

Answer:

  1. It would float.
  2. The pieces would float.
  3. It would sink.
  4. The pieces would sink. Gizmo Warm - up 1. Float. Gizmo Warm - up 2. The pieces float. Gizmo Warm - up 3. The amount of a material does not affect its sinking or floating tendency as long as its density relative to the liquid stays the same.