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Density is measured on a relative scale

Notice that in comparing the densities of lead, clay, and balsa wood, we have not used any units of measurement. We simply stated that balsa wood is less dense and lead is more dense compared to clay. This is called relative densityThe density of one material compared to another..

To measure density, scientists often use a relative scale. Water is assigned a value of 1.0, and other materials are assigned numerical values greater or less than 1.0 based on their density relative to water. For example, lead has a relative density of 11.3 and balsa wood has a relative density of 0.2. Relative density compared to water is also called specific gravityThe density of a material compared to water..

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1. Introduction
2. Density is measured on a relative scale
3. Relative density can be observed
4. Look! It floats
5. Experiment 1 - Density: Can a scale of relative density predict whether one material floats on another?
6. Experiment 2 - Buoyancy: Does water pressure affect buoyancy?
7. Design Your Own Experiment