Q.2.75 - An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry

Question

In an old trunk, you find a piece of metal that you think may be aluminum, silver, or lead. You take it to a lab, where you find it has a mass of 217 g and a volume of 19.2 cm³. Using Table 2.8, what is the metal you found?

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

The metal is Lead and the value of density is 11.3 g/cm³.

Step 1: Given Information

Mass of metal =217 g

Volume of metal = 19.2 cm³

Step 2: Explanation

Density is defined as the ratio of mass over volume. Every substance has a unique density, which distinguishes it from others. It is given by: 

$\mathrm{Density}=\frac{\mathrm{mass} \mathrm{of} \mathrm{substance}}{\mathrm{volume} \mathrm{of} \mathrm{substance}}$

On substituting the values:

$$\begin{gathered} \mathrm{Density} \mathrm{of} \mathrm{metal}=\frac{217 \mathrm{g}}{19.2 {\mathrm{cm}}^3} \\ \mathrm{Density} \mathrm{of} \mathrm{metal}= 11.3 \mathrm{g}/{\mathrm{cm}}^3 \end{gathered}$$

$1 g/c{m}^3=1g/mL$

While looking at the table,

The metal is Lead.