This is a density kit designed for measuring the volume of an small object based on the buoyancy principle. To use, set up the pieces as shown in the first picture. For most items, filling the beaker with water is fine. For hydrogels, the beaker needs to be filled with a non-solvent such as heptane. This should be done in a chemical safety fume hood with proper scientific training! Place the sample on the top stage and record the measured weight. Then place the sample on the bottom (wire) stage and measure the apparent weight. If you know the density of the solution, this will be enough to calculate the volume.

The wire stage was bent into shape separately using 18 gauge aluminum wire.

This tool was developed for a biomaterials project by the Peppas lab at the University of Texas at Austin.