Reading about Density
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Read the paragraph below. After you have completed the reading complete the Exit Ticket in the following assignment.
What Determines If Something Sinks or Floats? Density is the only thing affecting whether something floats or sinks. If an object has a higher density (more dense) than the fluid it is in (fluid can mean liquid or gas), it will sink. If it has a lower density (less dense), it will float. Density is determined by an object's mass and volume. If two objects take up the same amount of space (volume), but one object has more mass, then it also has a higher density. (more dense). You might be tempted to say that whether or not something floats depends on how heavy it is. However, you would only be partially right. Think about ships—they can weigh tens of thousands of tons, but still float. That is because floating or sinking is not just about how heavy something is. It is about how heavy something is compared to the same amount of water. This ratio of an object’s mass to its volume is known as density. Density is what really determines whether something will sink or float. Therefore, we say that if something’s density is less than the water's density, then it will float on water’s surface, otherwise it will sink. The density of a material is how much matter (mass) there is in a given amount of space (volume). |
Rubric

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This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
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5 pts
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5 pts
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This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Description of criterion
threshold:
5 pts
|
This area will be used by the assessor to leave comments related to this criterion.
|
pts
/
5 pts
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