Explain how to calculate density.

Density is calculated by dividing mass by volume.

To calculate density, you need to know two key pieces of information: the mass of the object and its volume. Mass is the amount of matter in an object and is usually measured in grams (g) or kilograms (kg). Volume is the amount of space the object occupies and is typically measured in cubic centimetres (cm³) or cubic metres (m³).

The formula for density is:

\[ \text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}} \]

For example, if you have a block of wood with a mass of 200 grams and a volume of 100 cubic centimetres, you would calculate its density as follows:

\[ \text{Density} = \frac{200 \text{ g}}{100 \text{ cm}^3} = 2 \text{ g/cm}^3 \]

This means the density of the wood is 2 grams per cubic centimetre.

It's important to use consistent units when calculating density. If the mass is in kilograms and the volume is in cubic metres, the density will be in kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m³). If the units are mixed, you will need to convert them to be consistent before performing the calculation.

Understanding density is useful in many real-world applications, such as determining whether an object will float or sink in water. Objects with a density greater than water (1 g/cm³) will sink, while those with a lower density will float.