Neal Edwards
Introduction
Standards
Objectives
Activities
Assessment
Results
Resources
Archimedes
 
 

Archimedes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 Introduction
In this lesson, students will apply their knowledge of density and displacement to determine if a king's crown is made from pure gold or from partly silver. The ancient scientist, Archimedes, was assigned this actual problem by his king. His solution to the problem went down in history.
Subject: Physical Science
Topic:Density
Grade Level:8-10
Student Lesson name and URL:ctap295.ctaponline.org/~nedwards/student/
Standards Addressed
Eighth Grade
Science: Focus on Physical Science
Density and Buoyancy
8. All objects experience a buoyant force when immersed in a fluid. As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:
a. density is mass per unit volume.
b. how to calculate the density of substances (regular and irregular solids, and liquids) from measurements of mass and volume. 
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Instructional Objectives
  1. Students will use a graduated cylinder and water to measure the volume of several irregular shaped solids.
  2. Students use a balance to measure the mass of solid objects.
  3. Students will calculate the density of solid objects from measurements of mass and volume.
  4. Students will categorize solid objects based on the density of those objects.
  5. Students will apply their knowledge to the ancient problem of the Gold Crown, originally solved by Archimedes.
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Student Activities
Insert brief summaries of your introductory, enabling, and culminating activities. Insert links to online resources in your text and insert links to activities on your student lesson web site.
Introductory Activity
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Enabling Activities

  1. Students will measure the volume of solid objects by displacement. This requires students to fill a graduated cylinder to a recorded level, carefully put the object into the cylinder with water, and recording the increase in the water level. This increase is the volume of the solid in milliliters (ml). They will record their data into a data table.
  2. Students will use a balance to measure the mass of the same solid objects. They will record this mass (grams) in the same data as above.
  3. Students will calculate the density of these objects by using Density=mass/volume. They will record the density on the same data table. The units are g/ml.


Culminating Activity
Students must design an experiment that will test if the Gold Crown is made of pure gold or part silver. They will write a portion of a lab report that will include the Purpose, Hypothesis, Materials, and Procedures for the test. The Procedures must include a detailed diagram that illustrate the test. The materials and measurement tools must have been available at the time of Archimedes, around 200 BC.

The Gold Crown may not be altered in any way. An identical Gold Crown may not be fashioned.

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Assessment
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Results
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Web Resources & Supplementary Materials

Introductory Activity
List and link the web resources for this activity here. Also link supplementary materials such as PDF files and /or document files.

http://www.mcs.drexel.edu/~crorres/Archimedes/contents.html
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Enabling Activity
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Culminating Activity
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Casa Roble High School
Orangevale, California
Neal Edwards
edwards@sanjuan.edu
Last Revised: 6/28/2000