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It has to do with the combination of volume and mass of an object. Together we call this its density. Density is mass divided by volume. Another factor is buoyancy: an object will sink until it has replaced as much water as it has solid mass. A big steel barrel, welded shut, will have a big volume but - because its inside is only air - very little solid mass in relation to that volume. So it floats, and a ship floats for the same reason. A pebble is all mass and very little volume, so it sinks.
But why does a little piece of solid wood then float and a same-sized pebble not? Also because of its density. Wood - or stuff like styrofoam - as a material has a much more 'open' molecular structure than stone or iron, so that gives them less solid mass and a much lower density.
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Will heptane float or sink in water?
As heptane is lighter than water, it will float.
Do eggs float or sink when they are boiled?
unboiled eggs float, but the boiled ones sink.
Do ginger people float or sink in water?
no they dont float like normal people
Does a glass float or sink in water?
It depends on the shape of the fork and the material from which it is made. Most non-metal (wood, plastic) forks will float. Metal forks will sink unless they are shaped to have a large enough surface area on the bottom.
Whould an aluminum ball sink or float?
Depends on the medium, and whether the ball is solid or not. A solid ball would float on mercury, sink in water. If it were hollow enough (or filled with, say, cork) it would float in water.
Materials that sink and float in the water?
material that sink has a density above that of water and does not obey the law of floatation.
How do materials that float differ from materials that sink?
The ones which float have a lower density than water, whereas those which sink have a higher density than water. However, also the shape the material is in influences whether it sinks or floats.
How well do different materials sink or float in water?
Well it depends on what the 'different' items are.
Will a marker float or sink in water?
I have a marker which float in water.
Will arsenic float or sink in pure water?
does Arsenic float or sink
Do clothes float or sink?
it will float as long as it is not fully covered water.
Will scoria float or sink in water?
scoria will sink but pumice will float.
Do boats sink?
Boats can sink. They are usually made of materials that allow them to displace water, and permit them to float. From time to time, that material will break down, and the boat will sink.
Does a rubber band float?
Yes and no. Rubber bands can float and sink in water. They will float on the water for awhile and then will sink. But not all the time the rubber bands will float on the water for awhile. Sometimes it will immediately sink.
Give some exampleof materials that sink and float in water?
rocks metal eggs dirt or sand all sink some woods sponge plastic aluminum cans all float
Does milk sink or float in water?
float
Do oil sink or float in water?
Float.
