Mass, weight and density

About this lab: Mass, weight and density

Interactive simulation for Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 topics 1.3 Mass and weight and 1.4 Density: the same mass weighed on Earth, the Moon, Mars and Jupiter with W = mg and a drop test at g, objects from cork to gold placed in water, oil or brine to see which float and how deep they sit, with a density bar chart, and three ways to measure density: a measured block on a balance, an irregular stone by displacement in a measuring cylinder, and a liquid weighed in its container.

IGCSE Physics 0625, topics 1.3 and 1.4. Mass against weight on four worlds, why things float, and measuring the density of a block, a stone and a liquid.

Mass, weight and density is a free, browser-based simulation for Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 (topic 1 Motion, forces and energy, sections 1.3 Mass and weight, 1.4 Density). The course is assessed in Papers 1 and 2 (multiple choice), 3 and 4 (theory), 5 (practical test) and 6 (alternative to practical). There are 3 tabs, each a self-contained experiment with its own controls and live readings, and nothing to install: it runs on a laptop, tablet or classroom projector.

Syllabus coverage

• 1.3 State that mass is a measure of the quantity of matter in an object at rest relative to the observer
• 1.3 State that weight is a gravitational force on an object that has mass
• 1.3 Define gravitational field strength as force per unit mass; recall and use the equation g = W m and know that this is equivalent to the acceleration of free fall
• 1.3 Know that weights (and masses) may be compared using a balance
• 1.4 Define density as mass per unit volume; recall and use the equation ρ = m V
• 1.4 Describe how to determine the density of a liquid, of a regularly shaped solid and of an irregularly shaped solid which sinks in a liquid (volume by displacement), including appropriate calculations
• 1.4 Determine whether an object floats based on density data
• 1.4 Determine whether one liquid will float on another liquid based on density data given that the liquids do not mix (Supplement)
• Lessons on this topic: Mass, weight, and gravitational field strength, Density: definition, formula, and floating, Measuring density of regular and irregular solids.

Full syllabus map: IGCSE Physics 0625 topic 1.

How to use this simulation

1. 1. Mass and weight.
2. 2. Density and floating.
3. 3. Measuring density.
4. The buttons at the end of the tab strip give the scene the whole window (Full screen, Hide controls) and, on a dark stage, a projector-friendly palette (Light scene). Many scenes also have drag handles: drag them to change the set-up directly.

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