Physics 101

Density is the ratio of mass of an object to its volume
$\rho = \frac{m}{v}$
SI units are $kg/m^{3}$
To convert to
- $1000\frac{kg}{m^{3}} = \frac{1000 \times 1000g}{(100cm)^{3}} = \frac{1000 \times 1000g}{100 \times 100 \times 100 {cm^{3}} } = 1\tfrac{g}{cm^{3}}$
It does not depend on the shape and size of the object. To experimentally determine the density of an object of any shape –
- Measure the mass of an object,
- Then measure its volume using the displacement method shown in unit 1 subunit Length and Time, topic
It is derived from the mass of a unit volume of an object
As such, it is an intrinsic property of a material
Objects with higher density sink in fluids of lower density, and will float on fluids of higher density.

Density