EXPERIMENT:1

DETERMINATION OF DENSITY OF SOLID

AIM: To determine the density of a solid (which is denser than water) by using a spring balance
and a measuring cylinder.

THEORY: All matter has mass and volume. Mass and volume are the physical properties of
matter and may vary with different objects The amount of matter contained in an object is called
mass. Its measure is usually given in grams (g) or kilograms (kg). Volume is the amount of space
occupied by an object. The units for volume including liters (l), meters cubed (m3 ).

Consider two different substances such as iron and cotton of same mass. It is observed that Iron
will occupy less volume as compared to cotton. This is due to their differences in density.
Density of Iron is more than that of cotton.
The mass of a unit volume of a substance is called its density.
Mass of the substance(M)
Density(D) = Volume of the substance(V)

If D is the density of a body of mass M and volume V, then

M
D= V

S.I unit of density is expressed in kg m−3 and CGS unit of density is expressed in g cm−3 .
For example, density of water is 1000 kg m−3 or 1 g cm−3 .
Spring Balance: It is a device used for the determination of gravitational mass of a body. It
works on the principle of Hooks law of elasticity which states that when a body is suspended
from a vertical spring, the body produces extension in the length of the spring proportional to its
gravitational mass.
PROCEDURE: Measurement of Mass of substance and gravitational Weight
1.Take a metallic solid block.
2.Tie it with a thin strong thread to hang it on the hook of the spring balance.
3.Note the least count of the spring balance.
4.Hang the block on the hook of spring balance. It is better to hang the spring balance with the
help of an iron stand or clamp stand so that it remains static while noting the mass of the block.
5.Carefully observe the gravitational mass of the solid block and note it down.
Now we need to find the Mass of the solid.
Weight measured by spring balance
Mass (M) = [Where, 𝑔 = 10𝑚𝑠 −2]
g

Measurement of Mass of substance

1.Take a graduated glass cylinder of proper size and capacity. Fill it with water up to a known
volume level mark.
2.Tie the rectangular metallic block by a thin strong thread and immerse it fully in water taken in
the graduated cylinder. The block displaces water and the water level rises. Note the position of

1
water level (meniscus) keeping the eye in horizontal position with the level (to avoid error due to
parallax).
3.Find the difference of two positions of the water level to find volume of metallic block
immersed.

OBSERVATION:

Weight of substance:…………………….
Mass of substance:………………………..
Volume of substance:…………………..
Mass of the substance(M)
Density of substance(D) = Volume of the substance(V) = …………. G cm−3

PRECAUTIONS:
1.Always used a thread of least weight and volume to tie the solid block.
2.The solid block should be dried before measuring mass and volume.
3.The indicator of the spring balance should be at zero before measuring the mass of the solid.
4.The solid block should be completely immersed in water of the measuring cylinder before
observing its volume.
5.While immersing the solid block, the water of the measuring cylinder should not spill.
6.The solid block should not touch the brim and sides of the beaker.
7.Always note reading of lower meniscus of water level.

RESULT: The density of the given solid (heavier than water) is .................... kg m−3 or
1 g cm−3 .

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 EXPERIMENT:2
VERIFICATION OF ARCHIMEDES PRINCIPLE

AIM: To establish the relationship between the loss in weight of a solid and weight of water
displaced when the solid is fully immersed in the following solutions:
●Tap water
●Strong salty water

THEORY: When a metallic block is immersed in water (or any other liquid), four vertical forces
act upon the block below the surface of water. These forces can be grouped into two types of
forces.
Downward forces

a.The weight of the block.

b.The downward thrust due to pressure of the liquid on the upper surface of the block.

Upward forces
a.The tension of the spring, which measures the apparent weight.
b.The upward thrust due to liquid present below the lower surface of the block. This upward
thrust is known as Buoyancy.

The more a body is immersed in water, the more the weight of the body decreases. The weight of
the body is least when it is completely immersed in water. This means that loss in weight of the
body increases as it is completely immersed in water.

When a body is partly or completely immersed in water (or any other liquid), then:

Loss in weight of body = Weight of water (liquid) displaced by the body = Buoyant force or
upthrust exerted by water (any liquid) on the body.

3
It was Archimedes who first observed that bodies lose their weight when immersed in water. He
proposed a principle based on his observation that is now known as the Archimedes' Principle.
The Archimedes Principle states that: “A body immersed in a liquid loses weight by an amount
equal to the weight of the liquid displaced.”

Archimedes principle also states that: “When a body is immersed in a liquid, an upward thrust,
equal to the weight of the liquid displaced, acts on it.”

Thus, when a solid is fully immersed in a liquid, it loses weight which is equal to the weight of
the liquid it displaces.

LOSS IN WEIGHT OF SOLID = WEIGHT OF THE SOLID IN AIR-WEIGHT OF SOLID

WHEN IMMERSED IN LIQUID

LOSS IN WEIGHT OF SOLID = WEIGHT OF LIQUID DISPLACED

The more the density of liquid in which the solid is immersed, the less is the weight of the liquid
displaced on immersing the solid.

PROCEDURE: Take 400 ml of tap water in a 500 ml beaker, add some common salt to it and
stir well. Go on adding salt to the water and dissolve it by stirring the solution with a glass rod
until some of the salt remains undissolved in the beaker. Decant the strong (saturated) salty water
and store for further use.
1.Hang a spring balance on an iron stand using a clamp.
2.Note the least count of the spring balance.
3.Take one of the solid blocks (S1) and weigh it by hanging it on the hook of the spring balance
using a thread. Find the weight of the solid in air (Wa) and note it.
4.Take two beakers (each of 250 ml) and mark them as A and B. Weigh them on a balance
separately and note down the mass of beaker A and B.
4.Take an overflow can and fill it with water to the brim of the outlet and place beaker A below
the overflow outlet of the can to collect the displaced water. Now, start lowering the metallic
block (S1), still attached to the spring balance into the water of the overflow can.
5.Note the loss of weight of the metallic block as it gets completely immersed in the water.
Weigh beaker A which contains the displaced water and note the mass. To find the mass of the
water displaced, subtract the initial mass of beaker A (without displaced water) from the present
mass of the beaker A (containing displaced water).
6.Repeat same experiment with salty water.

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OBSERVATIONS:
FOR TAP WATER

Weight of the body in Weight of the body in Apparent loss in weight

air 𝑊𝑜 (g wt) tap water 𝑊 (g wt) 𝑊𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠 = 𝑊𝑜 − 𝑊 (g wt)

Apparent loss in weight of the body when fully immersed in tap water = 𝑊𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠 = 𝑊𝑜 − 𝑊
=…………..g wt

FOR SALT WATER

Weight of the body in Weight of the body in Apparent loss in weight

air 𝑊𝑜 (g wt) Salt water 𝑊 (g wt) 𝑊𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠 = 𝑊𝑜 − 𝑊 (g wt)

Apparent loss in weight of the body when fully immersed in salt water = 𝑊𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠 = 𝑊𝑜 − 𝑊
=…………..g wt

PRECAUTIONS:
1.The string used to hang the spring balance should have negligible weight.
2.The metallic block should be gradually immersed in water.
3. Reading of spring balance should be taken only when it is stable.
4. When immersing the metallic block in water, care should be taken that displaced water does
not spill.

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 EXPERIMENT:3
LAWS OF REFLECTION OF SOUND

AIM: To verify the laws of reflections of sound.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:
1.Two glass tubes of 3 ft. in length and 2 inches in diameter.
2.Vertical reflector (say a polished wooden drawing board).
3.Sounding body (Galton's whistle or clock).

THEORY:

Reflection: Reflection is the change in direction of a wavefront at an interface between two

different media so that the wavefront returns into the medium from which it originated. Common
examples include the reflection of light, sound and water waves.

Propagation of sound: Sound propagates through air as a longitudinal wave. The speed of
sound is determined by the properties of the air, and not by the frequency or amplitude of the
sound. If a sound is not absorbed or transmitted when it strikes a surface, it is reflected. The law
for reflection is the same as that of light, ie., the angle of incidence of a sound wave equals the
angle of reflection, just as if it were produced by a 'mirror image' of the stimulus on the opposite
side of the surface.

Reflection of sound: When sound travels in a given medium, it strikes the surface of another
medium and bounces back in some other direction, this phenomenon is called the reflection of
sound. The waves are called the incident and reflected sound waves.

Relation between incident and reflected sound waves: The sound waves that travel towards
the reflecting surface are called the incident sound waves. The sound waves bouncing back from
the reflecting surface are called reflected sound waves. For all practical purposes, the point of
incidence and the point of reflection are the same point on the reflecting surface.

A perpendicular drawn on the point of incidence is called the normal. The angle which the
incident sound waves makes with the normal is called the angle of incidence, "𝑖". The angle
which the reflected sound waves makes with the normal is called the angle of reflection, "𝑟".

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Laws of reflection
The following two laws of reflection of light are applicable to sound waves as well:
●The incident wave, the normal to the reflecting surface and the reflected wave at the point of
incidence lie in the same plane.
●The angle of incidence ∠𝑖 is equal to the angle of reflection ∠𝑟.

PROCEDURE:
1.Arrange two glass tubes; AB and CD each horizontally at some angle in front of a vertical
reflector 𝑅1 𝑅2 (a polished wooden drawing board ).
2.At the mouth A, of the tube AB, place a sounding body (a tuning fork or a clock).
3.Adjust the inclination of the tube CD with respect to the reflector 𝑅1 𝑅2 so that the sound is
distinctly and loudly heard when the ear is placed at D.
4.Mark the portion of tube AB and CD.
5.Draw a dotted line from the centre of diameter of tube AB and CD and extend up to reflector
board. Draw a normal.
6.Measure the angle between the sound waves coming from the tube AB and the normal
(ie. the angle of incidence of sound waves)
7.∠AON called angle of incidence, ∠𝑖.
8.Then measure the angle of reflection, ie., angle between normal and the central line drawn
from the tube CD, when the sound is distinctly and loudly audible. This is the angle of
reflection of sound wave,∠𝑟, 𝑖𝑒. ∠𝐷𝑂𝑁

OBSERVATION TABLE:
Sr. No Angle of incidence ∠𝑖 = ∠𝐴𝑂𝑁 Angle of reflection ∠𝑟 = ∠𝐷𝑂𝑁
1
2
3
The tubes carrying sound waves, the normal to the vertical reflector and the reflected wave are in
the same plane.

PRECAUTIONS:
1.The inner surface of the metallic tube should be highly polished.
2.Metal plate should be highly polished.
3.The tuning fork should be close to the tube, but it should not touch the tube.
4.There should be complete silence in the laboratory so that sound from other sources does not
interfere.
5.The ends of metallic tubes should project out at least 1cm from the edge of the table top.

RESULT: The angles of incidence and the angle of reflection of sound are found to be equal,
which verifies one of the Law of reflection.