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Why would a cork float on a liquid and an iron nail sink in the liquid in regard to their densities?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Water weighs one gram per cubic centimeter. If something is put in the water, it will do one of two things: either dissolve or displace water according to its mass.
If you were to put something weighing 50 grams into the water, it will displace 50 grams of water. If the volume of the item is larger than 50 cubic centimeters, the excess volume will be out of the water. (This is why boats float--their density is really low, even though they might be made from iron or concrete.) If the volume is less than 50 cc, the item will sink.
If the object or material is lighter then the liquid then the weight of the liquid will force the liquid below the object until the object has reached the surface of the liquid. In the same way as a lighter then air balloon will go up until it is no longer lighter then air. On the other hand if the material is haevier the reverse hapens.
A object would float or sink in a liquid due to the following conditions:(W1=upthrust force,W2=downward force)
1. When W1>W2 - In this case when the upthrust force is more than the force acting downwards, the object would float freely above the liquid.
2. When W2>W1- In this case when the downwards acting force is more than the upthrust force, the object will sink in the liquid.
3.When W1=W2- In this condition both the upthrust force and downwards force are equal and the object will float and, half of it immersed in the liquid.
--Objects sink in water if they have a higher density than water and float if they have a lower density than water. Density is mass per volume of an object (usually measured in grams per milliliters, or g/mL)-- a denser object, such as a brick, will have a higher mass per volume than a less dense object, such as a sponge. The density of water is 1 g/mL, so anything with a density greater than 1 g/mL will sink, and anything with a density lower than 1 g/mL will float.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
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What is the tendency of an object to float?
Whether a material in any state of matter (solid, liquid or gas) will float in a liquid (or a gas) depends on the relative densities of the materials. (Density is defined as mass divided by volume.) If the density of the object is less than the density of the liquid it is placed in, the object will float. If the density of the object is greater than the density of the liquid, the object will sink. If the densities are the same, the object will remain stationary assuming there are no other forces acting on it. For a few examples, a plank of wood is (generally) less dense than water, so it would float. A balloon filled with Helium is less dense than air, so it rises. A ball of lead is more dense than water, so it sinks. You can even float a liquid on top of another liquid if their densities are different.
How would liquids with different densities look in a container?
The denser liquid would be below, while the less dense liquid would be on top.
When would the density of an object float in liquid water?
The density is not directly relevant. Otherwise, ship made of steel would not float on water.
What density does an object have to have to float in alcohol?
Three of the most commonly known alcohols, methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol have densities around .79 g/ml. In order for something to float on alcohol, it would have to have a lower density than that.
Which sea would a ship float best in?
A sea comprised of liquid, with the greatest possible density.
What would happen if you have 2 liquids with different densities in the same container?
the less dense liquid will float to the top and the more dense liquid will drift to the bottom
What would you observe if a liquid organic compound is not soluble in water?
When mixed, the two liquids would separate due to differential densities. Their different densities would cause the more dense liquid to sink to the bottom of the container while the less dense one would be displaced and rise to float at the top.
What is the tendency of an object to float?
Whether a material in any state of matter (solid, liquid or gas) will float in a liquid (or a gas) depends on the relative densities of the materials. (Density is defined as mass divided by volume.) If the density of the object is less than the density of the liquid it is placed in, the object will float. If the density of the object is greater than the density of the liquid, the object will sink. If the densities are the same, the object will remain stationary assuming there are no other forces acting on it. For a few examples, a plank of wood is (generally) less dense than water, so it would float. A balloon filled with Helium is less dense than air, so it rises. A ball of lead is more dense than water, so it sinks. You can even float a liquid on top of another liquid if their densities are different.
How would liquids with different densities look in a container?
The denser liquid would be below, while the less dense liquid would be on top.
What happen to a solid placed in a liquid if the densities of the solid and liquid are the same?
The solid object would be "neutrally buoyant" with respect to the liquid you placed it in. If you placed it in fairly gently, it would float at the surface (as opposed to ON the surface, like a cork in water for instance). If you pushed the object below the surface it would float at the level you pushed it down to (imagine a diver using their weight belt and flotation vest to maintain a fixed depth: not quite the same thing but the effect is the same). However, depending on the depth of the liquid, you would also need to take into account the "pressure gradient". This means that as the pressure in the liquid increases with depth, it becomes more dense. So, there will be a point in your liquid where the density of the liquid rises above the density of the solid object. The solid object would therefore "float" back up to this point if forced any deeper.
What would happen to an object if it got placed in a denser liquid?
It would float.
Would a quarter float in water?
It will sink in water, but it will float in mercury. Depends on what the liquid is.
Which planet could float on a giant planet?
The low density of Saturn would allow it to float in liquid water.
When would the density of an object float in liquid water?
The density is not directly relevant. Otherwise, ship made of steel would not float on water.
Would an object float at 3.684 density?
It isn't clear what units you are using, what liquid you are placing it in, and whether that is the density of the object or of the liquid. The general rule is that an object will float if it has less density than the liquid in which it is placed.
Will aluminum always float in any liquid?
No, it will only float in a liquid more dense than it. Since it is more dense than water, it would sink in water, for example.
Juanita would like to know whether a sample of a solid will float in water In which type of table could she find this information?
In a chart of various densities.
