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The Varying Density of Sea Water
http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/education/lessons/act37.htm
From DLESE Community Collection (DCC)
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This activity demonstrates to students how water temperature and the concentration of dissolved and suspended solids affect the density of sea water. They will use various materials, such as salt and food coloring, to create and test water of different densities and record the time it takes drops of different water to sink through a mineral oil cylinder. In the second part of the activity, students will add the different colored waters to mineral oil and sketch what they observe, then describe what happens when liquids of different temperatures are mixed and when a clay and water mixture is poured into clear water. A student worksheet and discussion questions are included.
Intended for grade levels:
  • Middle (6-8)
  • High (9-12)
Type of resource:
  • For the classroom:
    • Lab activity
Subject:
  • Ocean Sciences:
    • Chemical oceanography
    • Physical oceanography
Technical requirements:
No specific technical requirements, just a browser required
Cost / Copyright:
No cost
Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.
DLESE Catalog ID: DLESE-000-000-008-648
Educational standards:
  • National Science Education Standards (NSES):
    • 5-8:
      • Unifying concepts and processes:
        • Change, constancy, and measurement
      • A - Science as inquiry:
        • Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
      • B - Physical science:
        • Properties and changes of properties in matter
    • 9-12:
      • Unifying concepts and processes:
        • Change, constancy, and measurement
      • A - Science as inquiry:
        • Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
      • B - Physical science:
        • Structure and properties of matter
Resource contact / Creator / Publisher:
Publisher: Maine Department of Conservation
Maine Geological Survey
http://www.state.me.us/doc/nrimc/mgs/mgs.htm