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Physics Paper 1 · P3 · Lesson 3.4

Density practical: liquids

Find the mass of the liquid, without counting the container.

Key ideas1 of 3

Subtract the empty container

Weigh a dry, empty measuring cylinder. Add the liquid, read its volume and weigh again. Liquid mass = filled mass − empty mass. You can also tare the empty cylinder before adding liquid.

The empty cylinder weighs 40 g. The cylinder with liquid weighs 90 g. The liquid mass is 50 g.

Example: 90 g − 40 g = 50 g of liquid.

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Topic resources and sources

Daily 5 · Exam practice · A4 revision sheet

All P3 content here is shared by Foundation and Higher Tier. Stretch questions combine the core ideas; they are not additional Higher Tier-only content.

AQA Combined Science Trilogy specification · 6.3.1.1 · Required practical 17. Original notes, questions and diagrams. Particle diagrams are simplified; animation speeds and experimental numbers are illustrative.

Photographs: Melt by Kathy Jantz, CC BY 4.0; Menisco 18mL-2 by Leandro Maranghetti Lourenço, CC BY-SA 3.0 (chosen from the licences offered); Bicycle Pump foot operated by Scott Ehardt (SCEhardt), Public domain, released worldwide by copyright holder. Images displayed without cropping or alteration; a resized source image is used for the ice.