In a body of water, a fish remains at a constant depth while motionless. In the same body of water, a person sinks while motionless. Why? More than one answer may be true.
Group of answer choices
The person has more mass than the fish.
The person has higher density than the water.
The fish has a lower density than a person.
The fish has less volume than the water it displaces.
The fish displaces less water than the person.
The fish has lower density than the water.
The person has more volume than the fish.
The correct answers to why a person sinks while motionless in a body of water, while a fish remains at a constant depth, may include:
- The person has higher density than the water.
- The fish has lower density than a person.
- The fish displaces less water than the person.
The correct answers are:
1. The person has higher density than the water.
2. The fish has lower density than the water.
To understand why these answers are true, we need to understand the concept of density and buoyancy.
Density is a measure of how much mass is contained in a given volume. If an object has a higher density than a fluid it is placed in, it will sink. If an object has a lower density than a fluid, it will float or remain at a constant depth.
Buoyancy is the upward force that a fluid exerts on an object immersed in it. This force is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. When an object is submerged in a fluid, it displaces an amount of fluid equal to its own volume. If the buoyant force is greater than the object's weight, it will float. If the buoyant force is less than the object's weight, it will sink.
In this case, the fish remains at a constant depth because it has a lower density than the water. It is less dense than the water, so the buoyant force acting on it is greater than its weight, causing it to float or remain at a certain depth.
On the other hand, the person sinks because they have a higher density than the water. The person is more dense than the water, so the buoyant force acting on them is less than their weight, causing them to sink.
Therefore, the correct answers are that the person has higher density than the water, and the fish has lower density than the water.
Think !!!
The person has higher density than the water.
(therefore sinks)
The fish has a lower density than a person.
( evidently if the fish is neutral buoyancy and the person is cannonballish)