An archaeologist wants to identify an irregular ancient metal coin discovered at an excavation site.
The archaeologist determines the density of the metal coin to be 10.50±0.40 g/cm310.50 \pm 0.40\text{ g/cm}^310.50±0.40 g/cm3.
What are the maximum and minimum values for the density of the metal?
Table 1 shows the experimental density values of five different metals.
| Metal | Density in g/cm3\text{g/cm}^3g/cm3 |
|---|---|
| Bismuth | 9.78±0.209.78 \pm 0.209.78±0.20 |
| Molybdenum | 10.22±0.1510.22 \pm 0.1510.22±0.15 |
| Sterling Silver | 10.30±0.2510.30 \pm 0.2510.30±0.25 |
| Lead-Tin Alloy | 11.15±0.1011.15 \pm 0.1011.15±0.10 |
| Electrum | 11.20±0.2511.20 \pm 0.2511.20±0.25 |
Which two metals in Table 1 could be the metal of the coin?
Describe a method using a displacement (Eureka) can that the archaeologist could use to determine the volume of this irregular metal coin.
Practise AQA GCSE Physics Changes of state and the particle model with exam-style questions for Foundation and Higher tier. 25 questions covering Density of materials and Changes of state, matched to the AQA GCSE Physics (8463) specification and written in Paper 1 and Paper 2 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.