What happens if something is denser than water

Follow-up on this answer. Learn more physics! Related Questions. Still Curious? Less Dense, More Dense If something is heavy for its size, it has a high density. If an object is light for its size it has a low density. Imagine a big bowl of popcorn, compared to a big bowl of pebbles, which would feel heavier?

It is easy to estimate relative densities if you keep either the volume or the mass of two objects the same. If you filled one bag with a kg of feathers and another with a kg of lead you would see that the feathers take up much more room, even though both bags have the same mass.

This because feathers are less dense, they have less mass per volume. If you made a copper cube and an aluminum cube of the same volume and placed one in each hand, you would be able to feel that the copper cube would be heavier.

Copper has more mass per volume than aluminum. How can one substance have more mass per volume than another? There are a few possibilities:.

Any one or a combination of these explanations could be the reason why one substance has a higher density than another. In the case of copper and aluminum, their atoms are arranged similarly, but copper atoms are smaller and have more mass than aluminum atoms, giving it a higher density. Density, Sinking and Floating Why do some things float, while others sink?

You might expect heavier objects to sink and lighter ones to float, but sometimes the opposite is true. The relative densities of an object and the liquid it is placed in determine whether that object will sink or float. You can really see relative densities at work when you look at a heavy object floating and a lighter one sinking.

For example, imagine putting a small piece of clay and a large, heavy wax candle in a tub of water. Sinking and floating applies to liquids too. For example, if you add vegetable oil to water, the oil floats on top of the water because the oil has a lower density than the water.

The water pushes upward against the object with a force buoyancy equal to the weight of water that is displaced. You can use styrofoam containers to preserve food in the fridge but never reheat or cook with them in the oven. Non-Biodegradable Pollutant It is unknown how long it takes for polystyrene to biodegrade. Some experts estimate the decomposition of Styrofoam to years, with limited recycling options. However, water can work its way through the foam under pressure or by gravity force.

When the foam is placed on water it will float and upon removal it will not contain any water and it does not lose any of its insulating properties. Does Styrofoam absorb water? When the foam is placed on water it will float and upon removal it will not contain any water and it does not lose any of its insulating properties..

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Mercury has a density of What would you predict with regard to the buoyancy of common objects in mercury metal? What will happen if something is not as dense as water? Chemistry Measurement Density. Feb 18,