Density, Mass and Volume

Density is a compound measure that links mass and volume. It is a core part of the Edexcel GCSE Mathematics (1MA1) ratio, proportion and rates of change strand. Density questions are practical, often set in real-world contexts, and appear on both Foundation and Higher papers.

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Key Vocabulary

Term	Meaning	SI Unit
Density	Mass per unit volume	g/cm^3 or kg/m^3
Mass	The amount of matter in an object	grams (g) or kilograms (kg)
Volume	The amount of space an object occupies	cm^3 or m^3

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The Density Formula Triangle

The three formulae are:

• Density = Mass / Volume (D = M / V)
• Mass = Density x Volume (M = D x V)
• Volume = Mass / Density (V = M / D)

Formula	Use When You Need To Find
D = M / V	Density (given mass and volume)
M = D x V	Mass (given density and volume)
V = M / D	Volume (given mass and density)