Topic > A laboratory report on measuring the density of an unknown plastic to identify it

IndexAbstractProceduresMaterialsConclusions and DiscussionAbstractThe average density of four separate pieces of polypropylene was determined to be 0.867 g/cm3. By considering the average density of six different known plastics, we were able to identify the unknown plastic as PVC based on its density. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayProceduresMaterialsAll materials for this experiment were provided by the nursery.Techniques Gather all equipment, known and unknown plastics Put together all known and unknown plastics, record mass To move, fill a graduated cylinder with water and record the initial volume. Add one of the plastic pieces to the cylinder and record the final volume. For linear measurement, measure the length, width, and height of each plastic with a Vernier caliper. Calculate densities. Conclusions and Discussion From the information obtained in this lab, you can determine that the unknown sample is PVC. Density is an intrinsic characteristic; therefore it can be used to identify different samples. Density is found using the formula:?=m/vBy finding the mass and volume of an object, you can calculate the density of that object. In the Mass, Volume, and Density of Polypropylene Samples table, the data needed to calculate the density of the samples is shown. Mass was obtained using a balance, and volume was determined by measuring the length, width, and height of each sample. In attempting to determine the volume of these samples, linear measurement was used rather than a displacement method because the density of plastic is lower than that of water, causing it to float. Once the individual densities of all four samples are calculated, an average density is calculated. The average density of polypropylene is 0.867 g/cm3. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom assay Since density is an intrinsic characteristic, it can be used to identify unknown samples. The Mass, Volume, and Density of Unknown Sample table displays the data needed to calculate the density of the unknown sample. Mass was obtained using a scale and volume determined by displacement. The density of the unknown sample was determined to be 1.5 g/mL. With this information, we can identify the unknown as PVC. Although PVC has a known density of 1.37 g/ml, it has the closest known density to the unknown.