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Browsing Topics / Substances, Chemical Reactions, and Conservation of Matter / A pure substance has characteristic properties, such as density, … /

Item SC064008: Two liquids with the same density and color but different boiling points are different substances. (This item uses a table that lists properties of the liquids.)

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A student determines the volume, density, and boiling point of three colorless liquids and lists them in the table below.

  Volume
(mL) 		Density
(g/mL) 		Boiling Point
(°C) 		Color
Liquid 1 10 0.79 56 colorless
Liquid 2 50 0.79 78 colorless
Liquid 3 10 1.0 100 colorless

Could any of the liquids be made of the same substance and why?

  1. Liquids 1 and 2 could be the same substance because they have the same density.
  2. Liquids 1 and 3 could be the same substance because they have the same volume.
  3. Liquids 1, 2, and 3 could be the same substance because they are all clear liquids.
  4. None of the liquids could be the same substance because they have different combinations of density, boiling point, and color.

Distribution of Responses

Chart showing distrubtion of responses for Item SC064008

Percent of students responding correctly

Overall42%
Grades 6–841%
Grades 9–1243%
Male42%
Female41%
Primary Language is English42%
Primary Language is not English37%

View data table