If you were given a table of the densities of several known
substances, describe in detail the process that you would use to
identify the composition of an unknown homogenous solid(including the
measurements you would need to take of the unknown solid).

Dear gazo,

A homogeneous solid is one that consists of a single substance and not
a blend of several.

homogeneous
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=homogeneous

Thus, given a table of known substance densities, I would want to
compare them with the experimentally determined density of the unknown
solid. If none of the known densities were a very close match, then at
least I would have gained the information that the unknown solid was
not any of these. If several densities were very close, then I would
have narrowed the possibilities significantly and would be able to use
other known facts (color, texture, melting point) to make an
identification. The most convenient outcome would be to find a close
match between the density of the unknown solid and exactly one of the
known densities.

As for the experimental determination of the unknown solid's density,
I would want to take measurements of its volume and mass.
Subsequently, dividing mass by volume gives the density of a
substance. To determine volume, I would take several samples of the
solid if it were malleable, frangible, or otherwise divisible. If this
were not possible, I would take multiple measurements of the one
piece. To determine the volume of a solid that had a regular shape
such as a box, sphere, or pyramid, I would use a ruler to measure its
sides and compute the volume geometrically. If the solid had an
irregular shape, I would submerge it in a tub of water and observe the
amount by which the water level rose. Finally, to calculate the mass,
I would use a set of scales.

You can read more about the measurement and calculation of density here.

GMHS Science: Density
http://www.gmhsscience.com/problems/physdensity.html

For methods of geometrically calculating the volume of regular shapes,
consult this page.

Math League: Space figures and basic solids
http://www.mathleague.com/help/geometry/3space.htm

If you feel that my answer is incomplete or inaccurate in any way, please
post a clarification request so that I have a chance to meet your needs
before you assign a rating.

Regards,

leapinglizard


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