What is the formula for calculating density?

The formula for calculating density is defined as mass divided by volume. This means that density is a measure of how much mass is contained within a given volume of a substance. In mathematical terms, density (usually represented by the symbol ρ) can be expressed as:

[ \text{Density} (\rho) = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}} ]

This relationship helps in understanding various physical properties of materials. For instance, in contexts such as buoyancy, whether an object floats or sinks in a fluid depends on the comparison of its density to that of the fluid.

In contrast, other proposed formulas do not accurately represent the scientific definition of density. The option suggesting that density equals mass plus volume would imply that density is a simple additive property, which it is not. Density does not increase simply by combining mass and volume. The one that states density as mass minus volume also misrepresents the concept, as density relies on the ratio of these two quantities rather than their difference. Therefore, it is essential to understand that density is specifically a ratio of mass to volume, making this formula foundational in both chemistry and physics.