Identifying polymers by density

A full-frame photograph of a heap of plastic bottles and containers for recycling

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Investigate and identify a variety of polymers used in everyday materials by testing their density in this practical. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

In this experiment, students place samples of several polymers found as everyday plastics into a range of liquids of known density. They observe whether these samples float or sink, and use this information to identify each polymer using a table of known polymer densities.

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