1.2.7 lab How Thick Is Aluminum Foil?

Be sure to:
Follow safe practices during this investigation.
Make all your measurements with precision.

Materials:

Meter stick

Aluminum foil

Micrometer

Scissors

Triple-beam balance or electronic scale

Graduated cylinder

Water

Scientific calculator

In this lab, you will measure mass, area, and volume in order to calculate the thickness of a single sheet of aluminum foil.

Procedure

Using the meter stick, cut out a square of aluminum that measures 10 cm on each side.

Calculate the area of the square in square meters (area = length × width). Record this value in the data table.

Use a triple-beam balance or electronic scale to determine the mass (in grams) of the square of aluminum. Make sure the whole square of aluminum is on the scale. Record the mass in the data table.

Partially fill the graduated cylinder with water. (It doesn’t matter how much, as long as there is some space left in the cylinder.) Record the volume of the water in the data table. (All volume measurements should be in milliliters.) Make sure to read the volume at the bottom of the meniscus (curve) in the graduated cylinder.

Crunch up the square of aluminum into a tight ball, and then put it in the graduated cylinder. The water level will rise as the aluminum displaces water. Record this new volume of water in the data table.

Determine the volume of the aluminum by finding the difference between the volume of water with the aluminum and the volume of water without the aluminum.

Given that volume = length × width × height, determine a way to solve for the thickness of the aluminum. Remember that 1 milliliter (mL) is the same as 1 cubic centimeter (cm3). Record the answer in the data table.

Repeat steps 1 to 7 for a square of aluminum that measures 20 cm on each side.

Repeat steps 1 to 7 for a square of aluminum that measures 30 cm on each side.

When you are done making measurements, be sure to recycle your aluminum foil samples.