Learn how to calculate density in a simple way through an example of a steel bar with a mass of 400 kilograms and a volume of 0.05 cubic meters. Discover the concept of density and how it helps us understand how tightly packed an object is. Get ready to grasp the relationship between mass, volume, and density, all in an easy-to-understand breakdown.
Imagine the steel bar as a big LEGO block. This LEGO block weighs 400 kilograms, which means if you step on a scale holding it, the number on the scale would show 400. The size of this LEGO block is like fitting in 50 water bottles, that's how much space it takes up. So, the volume of that steel bar is 0.05 cubic meters, which is like having 50 water bottles filled with air stacked together.
To find out how tightly packed those LEGO blocks are, we use density. Density is like how many LEGO blocks fit in a certain amount of space. Now, to find the density of our steel bar, we divide its mass (400 kg) by its volume (0.05 cubic meters). So, density = mass/volume = 400 kg ÷ 0.05 m³ = 8000 kg/m³. This means if we stack 8000 LEGO blocks in a 1-meter box, the box would weigh 1 kilogram.
So, the density of the steel bar is 8000 kilograms per cubic meter. If this steel bar was a cake, its density would be like having 8000 grams of cake in every cubic meter of cake. Remember, density helps us understand how tightly packed something is, and in this case, our steel bar is tightly packed with a density of 8000 kg/m³.
Thus, the answer to our question is 8000. Now you know the density of the steel bar is 8000 kilograms per cubic meter, like having 8000 LEGO blocks in a 1-meter box. Isn't that cool?