Two samples of water are prepared, one with red food coloring and one with blue. When carefully combined, the red-colored water is able to float on top of the blue-colored water. Which statement best explains this result?
a
The blue-colored water is cooler and less dense.
b
The red-colored water is cooler and more dense.
c
The blue-colored water is hotter and more dense.
d
The red-colored water is hotter and less dense.
b
The red-colored water is cooler and more dense.
a
The blue-colored water is cooler and less dense.
To determine the reason for the red-colored water floating on top of the blue-colored water, we need to consider the densities of the two substances. Density is a measure of how tightly packed the particles are in a substance. The substance with a higher density will sink below a substance with a lower density when they are mixed together.
In this case, we have two samples of water, one with red food coloring and one with blue food coloring. The color of the water does not change its density, as it is only a result of the added food coloring.
Therefore, we can eliminate options b and d, as the temperature does not affect the density of water in this scenario.
Now, we have options a and c left.
If the blue-colored water is cooler and less dense (option a), it would float on top of the red-colored water, which is warmer and denser. However, the statement in the question states that the red-colored water is floating on top of the blue-colored water, which contradicts option a.
Therefore, the correct answer is option c: The blue-colored water is hotter and more dense. In this case, the hotter blue-colored water is less dense than the cooler red-colored water, causing the red-colored water to float on top.