Density is defined as mass per unit volume. It is an intrinsic property of a substance that remains constant under normal conditions. The density of a substance is expressed in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³) in the International System of Units (SI).
The density of iron pyrite is approximately 5 g/cm³ (5000 kg/m³), while the density of gold is approximately 19.3 g/cm³ (19300 kg/m³).
Since the masses of the iron pyrite and gold nuggets are equal (50 g each), we can calculate their respective volumes using the formula:
Volume = Mass/Density
1. Iron Pyrite Nugget:
Volume of iron pyrite nugget = 50 g / 5 g/cm³ = 10 cm³
2. Gold Nugget:
Volume of gold nugget = 50 g / 19.3 g/cm³ ≈ 2.6 cm³
Therefore, we can conclude that the volume of the iron pyrite nugget is approximately four times larger than the volume of the gold nugget, despite having the same mass. This is due to the difference in their densities. Iron pyrite has a lower density than gold, which means it occupies a larger volume for the same mass.
