Density Kit

thingiverse

This is a density kit engineered to measure the volume of small objects by harnessing the buoyancy principle. To operate, assemble the components according to the first illustration provided. For most items, filling the beaker with water will suffice, but for hydrogels, it's essential to fill the beaker with a non-solvent like heptane. **This step must be performed in a chemical safety fume hood under proper scientific training conditions!** Place the sample on top and record its measured weight. Next, place the sample on the bottom stage and measure the apparent weight. If you're familiar with the density of the solution, this will give you enough information to calculate the volume. The wire stage was individually shaped using 18 gauge aluminum wire. This tool was designed for a biomaterials project by the Peppas lab at the University of Texas at Austin.