Physical Science · Structure of Matter
Density: Mass, Volume & Floating
Measure mass and volume, calculate density, compare objects with water, and use force evidence to explain why objects sink, float, or approach neutral buoyancy.

Lesson plan
Density: Mass, Volume & Floating
A step-by-step guide to help you teach this lesson.
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Lesson overview
What students will learn
- Calculate density from mass and volume and interpret density as a ratio rather than as mass alone.
- Use consistent measurements to compare the densities of regular and irregular objects.
Key science ideas
- Density is calculated as mass divided by volume.
- Two objects can have the same mass but different densities if their volumes are different.
- Two objects can have the same volume but different densities if their masses are different.
Lesson at a glance
- Grade 6
- 55 min
- ~12 min prep
- 6 materials
What’s included
- Lesson Plan
- Investigation
- Teacher Slides
- Printable Worksheet
- Teacher Answer Key
- Interactive Activity
- Vocabulary