MINERALS
Density
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Density or specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a substance to the weight of an equal volume of water.
Density = Weight/Volume
Mineral Density Test Video
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Steps
to determine the density of a mineral.
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1) Use a balance. In this example the balance to be used is a triple beam balance. |
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2) Place the specimen in the weighing pan. |
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3) Record the weight of the specimen, in this case 155.8 grams. |
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4) Record the level in a graduated cylinder before you put the specimen in. In this case 900ml.
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5) Record the level after the specimen was placed under water. In this case 920ml. |
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Density
= 155.8grams / 20 cc
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6) Divide 155.8/20 = 7.79 g/cc. (in this case 20ml = 20cc, because the amount of units displaced are equivalent). So, the density of the minerals is 7.79g/cc. |
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7) The closest minerla having this density is galena with a density of 7.60 g/cc. (In order to get a precise density sophisticated equipment with a tolerance of five to seven decimals is used).
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©David Leveson and David Seidemann - Brooklyn College - Earth and Environmental Sciences