Had this question answered answered before but I could not understand the explanation. Can someone else please help me?

What is the likely identity of a substance (see Table 10-1) if a sample has a mass of 9.38 g when measured in air and an apparent mass of 8.55 g when submerged in water?

A)Copper
B)Iron or steel
C)Aluminum
D) Lead
E)Concrete
F)Gold

Of course, I'd be happy to help you understand the explanation for this question.

To determine the likely identity of the substance, we need to use the concept of buoyancy. Buoyancy is a force that acts on an object immersed in a fluid and is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. This force allows objects to float or sink in fluids.

In this case, the substance is submerged in water, so we need to compare the mass of the substance in air to its apparent mass when submerged in water. The difference between these two measurements represents the weight of the water that has been displaced by the substance.

To calculate the displaced water's weight, we can use the formula:

Weight of water = mass of displaced water × gravitational acceleration

The gravitational acceleration is approximately 9.8 m/s².

First, let's find the mass of the displaced water. We subtract the apparent mass (8.55 g) from the mass in air (9.38 g):

Mass of displaced water = Mass in air - Apparent mass
Mass of displaced water = 9.38 g - 8.55 g
Mass of displaced water = 0.83 g

Now, let's calculate the weight of the displaced water:

Weight of water = Mass of displaced water × Gravitational acceleration
Weight of water = 0.83 g × 9.8 m/s²
Weight of water = 8.134 g·m/s²

Looking at the options in Table 10-1, we can see that the substance with a weight closest to 8.134 g·m/s² is D) Lead.

Therefore, the likely identity of the substance is Lead (option D).

I hope this explanation helps you understand the answer. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!