Lab 2: Aluminum Foil Lab

Lab 2

Aluminum Foil Lab

Shiva Senthil

7/17/17

Introduction

The purpose of this lab was to determine the thickness of a piece of aluminum foil, a length that is too small to physically measure with tools such as a ruler. Important terms used are: density, volume, mass, and significant figures. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, generally expressed in grams. Volume is the amount of space an object takes up, usually expressed in cm or mL. Density is a ratio of the mass to the volume of an object, expressed in g/cm³ or g/mL. Significant figures are the important digits used to keep the same precision throughout the calculations. 

Procedure

First, the length and width of the foil were measured. Then, the mass was measured using a balance. Since the density was given, the height (thickness) was the only missing measurement. Using the other measurements, the thickness was calculated.

Data

The measured values were the length, width, and mass of the foil.

Using the basic density formula:

We can substitute V = L*W*H:

And then solve for H, our missing value:

With all values plugged in (calculated to 1 significant figure):

 We arrive at a thickness of 0.02 mm for the aluminum foil.

Conclusion

The fact that the aluminum foil is only one fiftieth of a millimeter was surprising. A challenging part of the lab was the initial problem solving required to be able to calculate the thickness. The purpose of the lab was fulfilled as the thickness of the aluminum foil was measured.