Density - Mass | Volume | Archimedes' Principle - PhET Interactive Simulations
Why do some materials like wood float in water, and others don’t? Interact with blocks of different materials, including a custom option by modifying their mass and volume, to explore the effect on the density and discover the conditions for sinking or floating in water. Play detective to determine the material of each block by comparing its density with the values in the table.
Overview
Added
March 17, 2026
Subject & domain
earth-environment · matter-physical-properties
Grade range
Grade 5–Grade 10 (Sophomore)
Page kind
Tool
Introduction
Density and Buoyancy Simulation Overview
- Core Concept: Exploration of density, mass, volume, and Archimedes' Principle.
- Interactive Features:
- Manipulate blocks of various materials.
- Adjust mass and volume parameters for custom blocks.
- Observe the physical effects of density on sinking versus floating behavior in water.
- Learning Objective: Determine the identity of unknown materials by calculating their density and comparing the results against a reference table.
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