Which of the following objects will float in a tub of mercury?
a. a solid gold bead
b. an ice cube
c. an iron bolt
d. 5 mL of water
The three less dense materials will float on mercury. Look up the density of all four.
All except Gold bead
Iron bolt
To determine which objects will float in a tub of mercury, we need to compare the density of each object with the density of mercury.
Density can be calculated by dividing the mass of an object by its volume. The density of mercury is approximately 13.6 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm^3).
Now, let's look up the densities of the given objects:
a. Solid gold bead: The density of gold is about 19.3 g/cm^3. If the density of the gold bead is less than the density of mercury, it will float.
b. Ice cube: The density of ice is around 0.92 g/cm^3. Again, if the density of the ice cube is less than the density of mercury, it will float.
c. Iron bolt: The density of iron is roughly 7.87 g/cm^3. If the density of the iron bolt is less than the density of mercury, it will float.
d. 5 mL of water: The density of water is 1 g/cm^3. If the density of water is less than the density of mercury, it will float.
By comparing these densities, we can determine which objects will float in a tub of mercury.