Mass in a given volume?

Mass in a given volume?

• A. Mass
• B. Density
• C. Weight
• D. Volume

Answer: (B)

The concept being tested is how much mass is packed into a specific amount of space. That property is density, defined as mass per unit volume. Density = mass / volume. In a given volume, increasing the amount of mass makes the material more dense; decreasing the mass makes it less dense. For example, a brick packed into a liter of space has a higher density than a sponge occupying the same liter, because the brick has more mass in that same volume. Mass alone tells you how much matter there is, but not how much space it takes. Weight involves gravity acting on mass, not how tightly that mass is packed in a volume. Volume is the amount of space itself, not how much matter is inside. Density is the link between mass and volume, describing how compact the material is.

The concept being tested is how much mass is packed into a specific amount of space. That property is density, defined as mass per unit volume.

Density = mass / volume. In a given volume, increasing the amount of mass makes the material more dense; decreasing the mass makes it less dense. For example, a brick packed into a liter of space has a higher density than a sponge occupying the same liter, because the brick has more mass in that same volume.

Mass alone tells you how much matter there is, but not how much space it takes. Weight involves gravity acting on mass, not how tightly that mass is packed in a volume. Volume is the amount of space itself, not how much matter is inside. Density is the link between mass and volume, describing how compact the material is.