A boat floating in a lake carries a big chunk of steel. The steel is then thrown overboard and lands on the bottom of the lake. What happens with the water level in the lake (with respect to the shore)?
arises
b drops
c) remains the same
d) depends on the size of the chunk
The correct answer is (c) remains the same. When the chunk of steel is thrown overboard and lands on the bottom of the lake, the water level in the lake will remain the same with respect to the shore. This is because when an object is floating in a fluid like water, it displaces its weight in water, which causes the water level to rise. Similarly, when the object sinks to the bottom, it continues to displace its weight in water. Therefore, there is no change in the water level in the lake.
c) remains the same
When the steel is thrown overboard and lands on the bottom of the lake, the weight of the steel displaces an equal volume of water. This displacement of water causes the water level in the lake to remain the same.