A wooden block is submerged in a tank of water and pressed down against the bottom of the tank so there is no water underneath it. The block is released. Will it rise to the surface or stay where it is?

I think it will rise to the surface because of the air holes coming out.

See these possible sources discussing density:

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar98/888747058.Bt.r.html
http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/fluidfloating.htm

I hope this helps a little more. Thanks for asking.

When a wooden block is submerged in water and pressed down against the bottom of the tank so there is no water underneath it, the block will rise to the surface when released. This is because wood is less dense than water.

To understand why this happens, we need to consider the concept of buoyancy. Buoyancy is the upward force exerted by a fluid (in this case, water) on an object immersed in it. The magnitude of the buoyant force depends on the density of the fluid and the volume of the object immersed in it.

In this scenario, the wooden block is less dense than water. This means that its density is lower than that of water. When the block is released, the upward buoyant force exerted by the water is greater than the downward force of gravity on the block, causing it to rise.

One way to determine the density of an object is by comparing it to the density of water, which is 1 gram per cubic centimeter (g/cm³). If the object's density is less than 1 g/cm³, it will float in water. In the case of wood, its density is usually less than 1 g/cm³, which is why wooden objects, like the block in this scenario, tend to float.

To further explore and understand the concept of buoyancy and density, you can refer to the sources provided in the previous response:

- The first source (http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar98/888747058.Bt.r.html) is a thread on the MadSci Network, where a discussion about buoyancy and the factors affecting it is presented.

- The second source (http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/fluidfloating.htm) is an educational website that explains the principles of floating and sinking, including the concept of density and its role in determining whether an object will float or sink in a fluid.

By delving into these sources, you can gain a deeper understanding of why the wooden block in this scenario will rise to the surface when released in the water tank.