Question #27cd0

1 Answer
Feb 24, 2016

You need access to appropriate information that would help you identity the substance.

Explanation:

Hopefully you have a pure substance, such as an element or compound, or a standardized substance. If so, you would have to do research and consult tables and charts. If the density was determined in an experiment, the instructor should provide a list from which to choose. Remember that temperature affects density.

Example
A sample of an element was obtained by a student. After making the appropriate measurements and calculations, the density at #20^@"C"# was determined to be #"2.70 g/cm"^3"#.

The student was given a list of the elements at #20^@"C"# which can be viewed at http://www.chemicool.com/densities.html.

The list included a density of #"2.702 g/cm"^3"# for the element aluminum. Therefore, the unknown element was determined to be aluminum.