Which of the following correctly describes how the density of an object is calculated?

• A. Density is calculated by adding the mass and volume of the object together (density = mass + volume).
• B. Density is calculated by multiplying the mass of the object by its volume (density = mass × volume).
• C. Density is calculated by dividing the mass of the object by its volume (density = mass / volume).
• D. Density is calculated by dividing the volume of the object by its mass (density = volume / mass).

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the definition of density in chemistry: Density is a measure of how much mass is contained in a given volume of a substance.
2. Express this relationship mathematically as density equals mass divided by volume, which can be written as \(\text{density} = \frac{\text{mass}}{\text{volume}}\).
3. Understand that adding mass and volume or multiplying them does not represent density because these operations do not relate the amount of matter to the space it occupies.
4. Recognize that dividing volume by mass would give the inverse of density, which is not the standard way to express density.
5. Therefore, the correct way to calculate density is by dividing the mass of the object by its volume.