A student wanted to determine the density of an irregularly shaped piece of sodium metal. The student is warned not to use water displacement to find the volume of the piece of sodium. Explain the reason for the warning and offer an effective solution to the students' problems.

Use displacement in kerosene. Sodium wont react with the kerosene. Why not gasoline? Who in the their right mind play with gasoline in a chem lab?

The warning against using water displacement to find the volume of the piece of sodium is because sodium reacts violently with water. When sodium comes into contact with water, it undergoes a chemical reaction in which it releases hydrogen gas and forms sodium hydroxide. This reaction can be highly exothermic and can cause explosions or fire hazards. Therefore, it is unsafe to use water displacement with sodium.

An effective solution to the student's problem would be to use a different method to find the volume of the sodium sample. One possible approach is to use a method called Archimedes' principle, which states that the buoyant force acting on an object submerged in a fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.

Here's a step-by-step explanation of how the student can use Archimedes' principle to find the volume of the sodium sample:

1. Start by obtaining a graduated cylinder or a measuring container that is suitable for measuring the volume of the sodium sample.

2. Fill the graduated cylinder or measuring container with a known fluid. It is important to choose a fluid that does not react with sodium. Common choices include non-reactive liquids like vegetable oil or an organic solvent, such as toluene or hexane.

3. Measure the initial volume of the fluid in the graduated cylinder or measuring container and record it.

4. Carefully lower the irregularly shaped piece of sodium into the fluid, making sure it is completely immersed.

5. The sodium will displace a certain amount of fluid corresponding to its volume. This will cause the fluid level to rise in the graduated cylinder or measuring container.

6. Measure the new volume of the fluid after the sodium has been submerged and record it.

7. Subtract the initial volume of the fluid from the new volume to determine the change in volume.

8. This change in volume corresponds to the volume of the sodium sample itself.

By using Archimedes' principle and a non-reactive fluid, the student can safely determine the volume of the irregularly shaped piece of sodium without using water displacement.