AMATHOLE EAST

TERM 2 EXEMPLAR PRACTICAL TASK

GRADE 8

SUBJECT: NATURAL SCIENCES

FORMAL ASSESSMENT TASK
2025

TOTAL MARKS: 40

DURATION: 3 hours :

Name:

Class: Date:

School: Teacher:

MARKS OBTAINED =

40

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ACTIVITY 1
DENSITY: WHICH MATERIAL IS DENSER?
TEACHER'S NOTE
This activity is included now to first introduce the concept of density. We will also look again at
the densities of different materials. Learners will have to conduct their own investigation so going
through this kind of activity will help them in thinking about the design for the investigation.

MATERIALS:
A variety of objects that have the same size (volume) but different densities: sponge, polystyrene,
wood, metal, brick or stone.
.
TEACHER'S NOTE
If you battle to find objects that are the same size, you can start off with some containers that are
of equal volume and fill them with different substances. For example, you can use matchboxes
(which will all have the same volume), and fill them with different substances such as sand, flour,
sugar, cotton wool, etc. If you do have access to a triple beam balance, do step 3 below and
actually measure the mass of each object after arranging them in order of increasing density. This
will help to consolidate the relationship between mass and density.

INSTRUCTIONS:

TEACHER'S NOTE
You could bring a brick and a loaf of bread to class so learners can test this out for themselves by handling
the two objects.

1. Handle all the different materials and compare their masses. You do not have to measure
their masses on a scale. You can just feel how heavy they are in your hand.
2. Arrange them in order of increasing density. Do this activity as a group and discuss why
some materials are denser than others. (3)

Learner dependent answer.

The size, mass, and arrangement of atoms affect the density of a substance.
Materials with more matter, or stuff packed into a given space, has a higher density
than materials with less matter packed into the same space. 

3. If you do have access to a triple beam balance, measure the masses of each of the objects.

4. Discuss the following: Why is sponge so light? Are there any similarities between the way
sponge looks, and the way bread looks on the inside? Could this explain why a loaf of
bread would be much lighter than a brick of the same size? Notice similarities in the
texture of substances of similar density.

QUESTIONS:

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 1. Imagine a brick and a loaf of bread that are the same size. Would the brick or the bread have
a greater volume? (1)

If they are the same size, it means they have the same volume. 

2. Which one, the brick or the bread, has more mass? (1)

The brick has more mass.

3. Which one, the brick or the bread, would have the greater density?
Explain your answer. (2)

The brick would have the greater density. If we compare two objects of the same size,
the one that is heavier (has more mass) has the greater density.

[7]

ACTIVITY 2: WHICH HAS THE HIGHEST DENSITY: A SOLID, A LIQUID OR A GAS?

TEACHER'S NOTE
This activity is used to explain the general property that solids are more dense
than liquids which are more dense than gases. It is mentioned that the boxes
contain the 'same material', which is important. Water, is specifically not
mentioned in this activity, as it is an exception which will be discussed later.
Water does not behave as other materials as the solid phase is actually less
dense than the liquid phase in water. Make sure to not refer to water when
going through this activity.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Compare the three identical containers below.
2. They all have the same volume and contain the same material
3. Container A contains a solid material, container B contains the liquid
state of that material and container C the gaseous state of the same
material.

4. Answer the questions that follow.

QUESTIONS:
1. Which container (A, B or C) contains the greatest number of particles?
Which container contains the smallest number of particles?

(2)

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Container A contains the most particles and C the least. 

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 Note: If learners are unsure, they can do a rough count or estimate of the
number of particles in the containers. They must keep in mind that in reality,
the number of particles would be impossible to count. It is important that they
realise that the density of a gas is significantly lower than the densities of the
other two phases.

2. Which container (A, B or C) contains the material with the greatest mass?
Which container has the smallest mass? Why do you say so?

(3)

The container with the most particles would contain the greatest mass;
therefore A contains the greatest mass and C the smallest.

3. Which state has the highest density: solid (in container A), liquid (in
container B) or gas (in container C)? Which state has the lowest density?
Why do you say so?

(3)

The solid has the highest density because it has the greatest mass. The gas
has the lowest density because it has the smallest mass in the same
volume.
[8]
ACTIVITY 3
INVESTIGATION: COMPARING THE DENSITIES OF SAND, FLOUR, WATER AND AIR
TEACHER'S NOTE
Learners must design this investigation themselves. They can work in groups to
do this. They should first discuss how they are going to do the investigation and
write down their method in their notebook or on scrap paper. After completing
the investigation they should then write up the method in the space provided
here. The list of materials should provide some guidance in terms of a possible
procedure. Since density is mass divided by volume, learners could measure the
mass of identical cups filled with sand, water and air, and calculate the
approximate densities of each material. If you do not have access to a scale,
then learners can just compare the densities of each material by holding the
cups in their hands.
INVESTIGATIVE QUESTION:
Which material has the highest density: sand, flour, water or air?  (2)
HYPOTHESIS:
What do you predict: Which material has the highest density: sand, flour,
water or air?

(2)

Learner dependent answer. 

IDENTIFY VARIABLES:
1. Which variables must be kept constant to make this a fair test? (2)

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 If a fixed volume (same size cup) of each material is used, then volume is
the constant or fixed variable. The cups must all be made of the same
material so that they have the same masses.

2. What is the independent variable? (What is it that you have control

over to change in this investigation?)

(1)

The independent variable is the type of material. 

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 3. What are the dependent variables? (Which variables will you
be measuring?) (1)

Mass is measured and used to calculate density. 

MATERIALS AND APPARATUS:

•Four identical cups (paper or plastic)
•Sand
•Flour
•Tap water
•Triple beam balance or scale

METHOD:

You will be designing this investigation yourself. If you are working in

groups, you need to first discuss how you are going to conduct (carry out)
this investigation. This is the planning. Write down your proposed method
in your notebook or on scrap paper. Discuss this with your teacher.
Remember to also think about how you are going to record your results.
After you have conducted the investigation, write down your method on
the lines provided here. Summarise each step in sequence and number
the steps.

(6)

LEARNER DEPENDENT
Learners must write the steps for their investigation in a numbered sequence.
If you have access to a scale or triple beam balance, then they must measure
the mass of each cup and use this to calculate the density. They will need to
know the volume of the cups to do this. The volume might be written on the
cups, but if not, ask them how they are going to determine the volume. A
suggestion is to fill the cup with water, then pour this water into a container
which has measurement (such as a beaker or measuring cylinder) and then
record what the volume is.

Award FOUR marks for all reasonable steps.

QUESTIONS
1. Write down the contents of the cups in order of increasing mass. (2)

Learner dependant answer.

Example: Cup with sand, Cup with flour, Cup with tap water,
Cup with air

2. What have you observed about the volume of the cups? (1)

Learner dependent answer:

The volume of cups was equal 

List the contents of the cups in order of increasing density and write
down your conclusions.
Learner dependant answer.
Example: Cup with sand, Cup with flour, Cup with tap water,
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Cup with air.  The cup with the substance that has the greater mass has
greater density.

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 [Award 2 marks for the order of increasing densities; 1 mark for reasonable
conclusion] (3)
[20]

ACTIVITY 4
AIM: To compare the densities of oil and water to each other by testing whether
the oil will float on the water.
Apparatus:
Small glass beaker/ Glass
Water
Oil
Method
1. Pour a little oil in the beaker/ glass
2. Fill the beaker/ glass thereafter with water and record your observations
3. Stir the mixture and leave it to stand for a few minutes. Record your
observations.
QUESTIONS
1. What do you observe after the oil is added to the water in the beaker? (1)

Learner dependent answer:

The oil floats in water/ the oil slowly rises to the top of the water.

2. What do you observe after the stirring the mixture of oil and water and
left to stand for a while?

(2)

Learner dependent answer:

One thing they will observe is that oil and water will not stay mixed together,
no matter how hard they shake the beaker. Instead, the oil slowly rises to the
top of the water. This is because of the density of the two liquids.

3. Write down your conclusions for this investigation. (2)

When pouring oil into water, the heavier liquid (one with the more density) will
settle down and the lighter liquid (the one with less density) will rise up/
float.
[5]

[TOTAL: 40]

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TOTAL: 20 Marks

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