Measuring Physical Properties Lab Report

Instructions: In the Physical Properties lab, you will test the physical properties of different building materials to pick the appropriate materials for a new home on Planet W. Record your observations and test measurements in the lab report in the areas shaded in purple. You will submit your completed report to your instructor.

Student Name	Amaya Castro
Instructor	Mrs. Field
Date

Lab Objectives

In this lab, you will:

experiment with different building materials to collect data on their physical properties

build a house with building materials that can withstand the environment of Planet W

Background Research

You will need more information about Planet W to build a home on it. Read the information about Plant W below. Use the information you learn to answer the questions.

Welcome to Planet W

Planet W is small but not so different from your own world. It has mountains, forests, beaches, and oceans. It also has many plants and animals. However, some days can be very hot, over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It also has many severe lightning storms with high winds. Planet W has a stronger magnetic field and less gravity than Earth. When explorers visited the planet, they added extra weight to their shoes and other items to keep them on the ground.

What type of weather and climate is found on Planet W?
Will building materials weigh more or less on Planet W? Explain why.
What types of building materials could be impacted by Planet W's strong magnetic field?

Hypothesis:

In the virtual activity, you will test building materials for their physical properties. Complete the IF/THEN statements using the word bank in this section. These statements should reflect your predicted outcomes for the experiment.

Word Bank: wood, clay bricks, iron, aluminum, and copper

A	If we test the flexibility of the building materials, then ______ will have the most flexibility.

B	If we test the magnetism of the building materials, then ______ will have the strongest magnetism.
C	If we test the thermal conductivity of the building materials, then ______ will have the highest value.

D	If we test the electrical conductivity of the building materials, then ______ will have the highest value.

Procedure:

Test each building material for flexibility, magnetism, thermal and electrical conductivity, and density.

Record your observations in the data table provided below.

Repeat steps with all test materials.

Data:

Record the results of each of the physical property tests in the table below.

WoodClay BrickIronAluminumCopper

Flexibility (?/10) Magnetism (number of paper clips) Thermal Conductivity (W/(mK)) Electrical Conductivity (x10⁷ S/m) Length of a Side (of a cube)

(cm) Analysis

If you know the length of the side of a cube of a solid object, you can determine its volume. If you know an object's volume and mass, you can determine its density. Follow the steps of this example:

Step 1: Use the length of each cube in the chart to calculate the volume using the (side length)³ formula.

Example: (2.5)³ = (2.5 2.5 2.5) = 15.625 cm³

Step 2: Then, calculate the density of each cube by using the formula (Density = Mass Volume).

The mass of every cube is 10 grams (g).

Example: 10 g 15.625 cm³ = 0.64 (g/cm³)

For the chart below, use the length of a side of a cube of wood, clay brick, iron, aluminum, and Copper to determine their volume. Then, use the mass of each cube (10 g) to determine the density of these materials.

Wood

Clay Brick

Iron

Aluminum

Copper

Volume (cm³)

Formula:

(side length)³Density (g/cm³)

Formula:

Density = Mass Volume Conclusion

Your conclusion will include a summary and interpretation of the results. Please answer all questions in complete sentences using your own words.

1

Summarize what you investigated and observed in this lab using two to three sentences.

2

What was the independent variable in the lab?

3

What was the dependent variable in the lab?

4

Did each of your test results support or fail to support your four hypotheses?

A.

B

C.

D.

5

This question had two parts:

Which building materials do you think will work best for building the home's roof, walls, and floors on Planet W?

Hint: Be sure to consider the thermal conductivity and density of building materials when it comes to protecting humans from the heat of Planet W.

B. Explain why you selected these building materials using results from your data chart.

A.

B.

6

Why should you avoid using iron for the latches on your house on Planet W?

Describe the materials you would use instead and why.

Hint: Consider the magnetic field of Planet W.