Density

Density tells you how tightly matter is packed into a given space. It is found by dividing an object’s mass by the volume it occupies, so a heavy object is not necessarily dense if it also takes up a lot of space. This relationship works because the same mass spread over a larger volume gives a lower density, while the same volume containing more mass gives a higher density.

Use this formula when comparing materials, identifying unknown substances, or checking whether something will float or sink. It is common in materials science, construction, geology, and everyday physics problems involving mass and volume.

• Using mass and volume in different units without converting them first
• Dividing volume by mass instead of mass by volume
• Forgetting that density depends on the amount of space an object occupies