Density and Convection Currents Lab

Density and Convection Currents

Purpose: Does heating a substance change the density of the substance?

Variables: Identify each of the following types of variables.

IV: What is the one part of the experiment that is being changes by the experimenter?

Ans. One part changing is the heating of a substance.

DV: What is being measured or data is being collected on (according to the purpose)?

Ans. The density is being measured.

CV: What are the parts of the experiment staying the same? 

Ans. (Identify two) They both have the same amount of water and beans in each beaker.

Hypothesis:

 If I heat one beaker with beans and don't heat the other beaker of water with beans, then the density for the beaker being heated will change.

Materials:

2 clear glass beakers, hot plate water, and beans

Procedures:

1. Pour 400 mL of water into each beaker.
2. Drop 10 beans carefully into each beaker
3. Place one beaker on a hot plate and turn on the heat source.
4. Observe the beaker after it heats for 10 minutes.

Conclusions: 

Answer the following questions using complete sentences and appropriate vocabulary for this unit.

1. What is the difference between your observations for each beaker?

Ans. The difference between what I saw in beaker 1(not heated) beaker 2(heated) is that in beaker 1, the beads are doing nothing but floating on the surface. But in beaker 2, the beads were circulating. This was because of the convection currents created by the heat.

2. Why do you think the beads are rising in one area while beads are sinking in another area in the heated beaker? 

Ans. The beads in one area are rising and beads in another area are sinking because they have different densities.