A block of wood will sink 10 cm in freshwater. How far will it sink in seawater. The specific gravity of seawater is 1.025.
I'm confused as to how to approach to problem
To solve this problem, we need to understand the concept of specific gravity and how it relates to an object's ability to float or sink in different fluids.
Specific gravity is the ratio of the density (mass per unit volume) of a substance to the density of a reference substance (usually water). In other words, it is a measure of how much denser or less dense a substance is compared to water.
In this case, we are given that the specific gravity of seawater is 1.025. This means that seawater is 1.025 times denser than freshwater. Therefore, an object will sink slightly more in seawater compared to freshwater.
To find out how far the block of wood will sink in seawater, we can use the concept of relative density:
Relative Density = (Density of Object) / (Density of Fluid)
In this case, the density of the object is the same (since the block of wood does not change), but the density of the fluid changes (from freshwater to seawater). Since density is directly proportional to specific gravity, we can use this relationship:
Relative Density = (Specific Gravity of Fluid)
Therefore, the relative density of the block of wood in seawater is 1.025.
Now, let's calculate how far the block of wood will sink in seawater using the concept of relative density:
Distance in Seawater = (Relative Density of Seawater) * (Distance in Freshwater)
Given that the block of wood sinks 10 cm in freshwater, we can calculate the distance it will sink in seawater:
Distance in Seawater = 1.025 * 10 cm
Therefore, the block of wood will sink approximately 10.25 cm in seawater.