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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