What determines the density of a substance?

What determines the density of a substance?

• A. Temperature
• B. Mass and volume
• C. Chemical composition
• D. Phase of matter

Answer: (B)

The density of a substance is fundamentally determined by the relationship between its mass and volume. Density is defined as the mass of the substance divided by its volume (density = mass/volume). This relationship is crucial because it quantifies how much matter is contained within a given space. While temperature can affect the volume of a substance (for instance, heating a gas typically causes it to expand), and different phases of matter (solid, liquid, gas) can have vastly different densities, the core definition of density remains rooted in the intrinsic properties of mass and volume. Chemical composition can also play a role in determining density by influencing both the mass of the constituent particles and how closely they can pack together in a given volume, but it is ultimately the mass and volume that provide the direct calculation of density. Thus, the correct choice reflects the fundamental scientific concept that density is derived from the ratio of mass to volume, making it the best answer to understand how density is defined.

The density of a substance is fundamentally determined by the relationship between its mass and volume. Density is defined as the mass of the substance divided by its volume (density = mass/volume). This relationship is crucial because it quantifies how much matter is contained within a given space.

While temperature can affect the volume of a substance (for instance, heating a gas typically causes it to expand), and different phases of matter (solid, liquid, gas) can have vastly different densities, the core definition of density remains rooted in the intrinsic properties of mass and volume. Chemical composition can also play a role in determining density by influencing both the mass of the constituent particles and how closely they can pack together in a given volume, but it is ultimately the mass and volume that provide the direct calculation of density.

Thus, the correct choice reflects the fundamental scientific concept that density is derived from the ratio of mass to volume, making it the best answer to understand how density is defined.