⇒ The density of a material is a measure of the mass per unit volume.
⇒ It is given the symbol, p
⇒ Density is a useful quantity because it allows us to compare different materials
⇒ The large stainless steel globe is more massive than the small stainless steel ball bearing. The globe floats; the ball bearing does not. Why?
⇒ Aerogels have the lowest density of any solid. The following table compares the density of aerogel with other common materials
⇒ Aerogel has been used in aerospace industries as a very low-density insulation material
⇒ The NASA Startdust mission used aerogel to capture particles from the tail of comet Wild 2
⇒ Also see our notes on: