How to Calculate the Mass of a Solid

Mass is the product of volume and density.
••• calculation image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com

Mass is defined as how much matter comprises an object. Mass, despite its International System of Units measure of kilograms, is often confused with weight, which is the gravitational attraction between an object and the Earth. Mass is calculated as the product of an object's volume and density.

Mass Calculation

    Measure the solid's displacement with a graduated cylinder to determine its volume.
    ••• cylinder image by Hubert from Fotolia.com

    Fill a graduated cylinder with enough water so that the solid can be completely submerged later.

    Measure the amount of water in the graduated cylinder.

    Place the solid into the graduated cylinder.

    Measure the amount of water in the graduated cylinder.

    Subtract the value in Step 2 from Step 4. The difference is the solid's volume.

    Determine the solid's density using the appropriate table found in the Resource section.

    Multiply the solid's volume found in Step 5 by its density found in Step 6. The product is the solid's mass.

    Things You'll Need

    • Graduated cylinder
    • Water
    • Density of solid

    Tips

    • Water in a graduated cylinder will take the shape of a meniscus, or a "U" shape; the proper measurement is at the lowest point of the "U". If the solid does not fit in a graduated cylinder, an overflow can be used to find volume by measuring the amount of water displaced when the solid is submerged (see Reference 4). One milliliter is equal to one cubic centimeter.

    Warnings

    • Do not measure the weight of an object and convert it to grams; this may not give an accurate measure of matter since weight is determined by gravitational pull and can vary based on factors like elevation.

Related Articles

How to Calculate Percent Solids by Weight
How to Find the Volume of a Sphere in Terms of Pi
How to Calculate the Volume and Circumference of a...
Difference Between Density & Mass
Volume Vs. Mass Density
How to Calculate Particle Concentration
How to Convert ML to MG
How to Find a Z Score
How to Find Mass in Weight
How to Calculate Volume of a Rectangular Prism
How to Find Mass From Density
Density to Molarity Conversion
How to Find Density
How to Convert From Moles Per Liter to Percentage
How to Convert ATM Pressure to Celsius
How to Calculate Concentration From Density
Characteristics of Aquatic Plants
How to Dissolve Magnesium Chloride
What Is Molarity & How Is It Calculated?
How to Find the Mole Fraction

Dont Go!

We Have More Great Sciencing Articles!