What is the effect of placing an object with a greater density than water in a bucket of water?

Don't rocks sink?

Not only will the rock sink, the level of water in the bucket will rise.

When you place an object with a greater density than water in a bucket of water, the object will sink. Density is defined as mass per unit volume, and objects with higher density tend to sink in water, while objects with lower density tend to float.

To better understand this concept, you can compare the density of the object to the density of water. The density of water is about 1 gram per cubic centimeter (g/cm³) or 1000 kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³).

To determine the density of an object, you need to know its mass and volume. First, measure the mass of the object using a scale. Then, measure its volume by either measuring its dimensions and calculating the volume mathematically (e.g., for a regular solid) or by submerging the object in water and measuring the displacement of water (e.g., for irregular shapes). Once you have the mass and volume, divide the mass of the object by its volume to calculate the density.

If the object's density is greater than that of water (1 g/cm³ or 1000 kg/m³), the object will sink when placed in water. This is because the object is denser than water, and the buoyant force exerted by the water on the object is not strong enough to support its weight, causing it to sink. The water gets displaced by the object, but the net upward force (buoyant force) is not enough to balance out the downward force (weight) of the object.

On the other hand, if the object's density is less than that of water, the object will float. This occurs because the buoyant force acting upward on the object is greater than the weight of the object. The object displaces an amount of water equal to its own weight, and the upward buoyant force counters the object's weight, allowing it to float.

In summary, when you place an object with greater density than water in a bucket of water, it will sink due to the imbalance between the object's weight and the buoyant force acting on it.