Density Lab: Mass, Volume & Identify the Material
Weigh mystery blocks, measure their volume by water displacement and work out the material from the density.
Drag each mystery block onto the scale to find its mass, then into the water to find its volume by how far the water rises. Density = mass ÷ volume. Which material is it?
About the Density Lab: Mass, Volume & Identify the Material
Free density lab: mass, volume & identify the material. Weigh mystery blocks, measure their volume by water displacement and work out the material from the density. Drag, change the sliders and see the result live. No sign-up, works on phone and computer. Built for physics, the density lab: mass, volume & identify the material runs instantly in your browser: change a setting or drag an object and the result updates at once, so you learn by trying things out rather than only reading about them.
Weigh mystery blocks, measure their volume by water displacement and work out the material from the density. Use it to explore physics ideas at your own pace, then check what you found against the key ideas further down this page.
How to use the Density Lab: Mass, Volume & Identify the Material
- Press "New mystery blocks", "Reveal materials" to start, reset or change what is happening.
- Where you see a glowing handle, object, weight or atom, drag it with your mouse or finger. Everything responds in real time.
- Watch the readouts and graphs update as you experiment, and compare what you see with the key ideas below.
Things to try
- Find the density of block A and name the material.
- Try to find gold.
- Press Reveal to check your answers.
Key ideas you can learn
- Density = mass ÷ volume.
- Volume of an irregular object is measured by water displacement.
- Each material has its own density.
- Objects with density above 1 g/cm³ sink in water.
Where this is used in the real world
Jewellers, geologists and engineers identify materials by measuring density.
Who is this simulation for?
Physics students in middle school, high school and first-year university, teachers who want a quick demonstration for the projector, and anyone revising for exams. It works well for flipped classrooms because students can explore before the lesson.
For teachers: project it on the board, let students predict what will happen, then run it together. For students: change one thing at a time and write down what changes.
Frequently asked questions
How do you measure the volume of a block by water displacement?
Lower it into water and read how much the level rises; the rise equals the volume.
How can I identify a material?
Compute its density and compare it with a table of known densities.
Is the Density Lab: Mass, Volume & Identify the Material free to use?
Yes. It is completely free, with no signup, no download and no ads inside the simulation. It runs in your web browser.
Does the Density Lab: Mass, Volume & Identify the Material work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. It uses touch as well as the mouse, so you can drag objects with your finger. A larger screen makes the controls easier to see.