Calculating with Density

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Background

Substances can be identified by determining quantitative chemical and physical properties. Although density is not a particularly sophisticated quantitative physical property, a density calculation can be used to illustrate the quantitative approach to substance identification. Textbook Discussion: Section 3.10 & 3.11, page 67-69. See Also: Example II, page 68 and P.O. 3.3, page 71.

Problem

The density of substance X is known to be 1.67 g/mL; the density of substance Y is known to be 2.62 g/mL; and the density of substance Z is known to be 3.21 g/mL. A chemist is working with an unknown substance that is suspected to be one of the above substances. In an attempt to discover the identity of this unknown substance, the chemist determines that a 32.6 mL sample of the substance has a mass of 85.4 g. What is one possible identity of the unknown substance?