Copper Penny Lab Report - measuring density.

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Is it a Copper Penny? Measuring Density

Experiment Date: 30 September 2010

Due Date: 8 October 2010

Is it a Copper Penny? Measuring Density

Objective

The objective of the experiment is to calculate the densities of pennies and determine the unknown compositions of pennies minted in 1943, and compare the accuracy and precision of the results to the known densities of pennies minted between 1962 and 1982 and those minted after 1982.

Materials

  • Balance
  • 100 mL graduated cylinder
  • 35 pennies minted between 1962 and 1982
  • 35 pennies minted after 1982
  • 35 pennies minted during 1943
  • Paper towels

Procedure

  1. 2 pennies minted between 1962 and 1982 were placed and weighed for mass on a balance and the respective mass was recorded.
  2. The 2 pennies were then placed in a graduated cylinder containing 20 mL of distilled water in order to find the volume of the pennies inside the water.
  3. The displacement of the water, after the 2 pennies were added, was recorded as the volume.
  4. Step 1 was repeated using a new set of 13 pennies minted between 1962 and 1982.
  5. These 13 pennies were then added to the graduated cylinder containing 20 mL of distilled water and the set of 2 pennies. The new displacement of water was recorded to tenths of a milliliter.
  6. Again step 1 was repeated using a new set of 20 pennies minted between 1962 and 1982.
  7. The set of 20 pennies were added to the graduated cylinder containing 20 mL of distilled water and 15 pennies, now totaling 35 pennies. The displacement of water was recorded to tenths of a milliliter.
  8. The water was poured out of the graduated cylinder and the pennies were carefully taken out and dried with a paper towel.
  9. Steps 1 through 8 were repeated with pennies from after 1982.
  10. Steps 1 through 8 were repeated with pennies from 1943

Data

Table 1: Pennies Minted Between 1962 and 1982

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Table 2: Pennies Minted After 1982

Table 3: Pennies Minted During 1943

Densities of Different Metals

Analysis

Table 4: Pennies Minted Between 1962 and 1982

Table 5: Pennies Minted After 1982

Table 6: Pennies Minted During 1943

Table 7: Theoretical Density

Table 8: Density Percent Errors

Discussion

After the data was collected, which includes the mass of 2, 13, and 20 pennies from all three time periods, and the volumes of 2, 15, and 35 pennies from all three time periods, the densities of the 2, 15, and ...

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