Question

in an experiment which the volume of dry sand is measured by the displacement of water, the sand was slightly wet to begin with. What effect would this have on the volume of air space that was calculated? on the percentage of the volume that was air space? This is from 8th grade introductory physical science book 6th edition.

Answer 1

It would mean that you could not know the precise volume of the sand. Only the volume of the sand plus the water that was making it damp.

In the experiments listed, the effects are easy to deduce by understanding that the water in the sand adds volume to the 'sample' being measured.

So in the case of calculating air space you would calculate less air space.