Phy 300 LAB

Jessica Andrade
Archimedes Principle
I.
II.

Objective: An application of the Archimedes Principle to determine the density of

rocks.
Materials: Triple beam or spring balance, rock samples.
1. Sea water has a higher density than fresher water. Would you be able to float
better in sea water than in fresh water? Being that salt water has a higher
density, it would be easier to float. The salt makes the water have more in the
water inside of it than fresh water; this allows making things that have less
mass than the amount of salt in the water float better. One thing to consider is
that even boats that are passing from ocean water to fresh water have to settle
a few inches or even a few feet due to the difference of density of the water.
2. A cup is almost full with water and floating ice. If all the ice were to melt how
would the water level change? If all the ice were to melt on a cup that was
filled almost to the top, the proton of the ice would fill some of the cup some
of the ice would evaporate being that the heat is being transferred to the ice
and some is lost by the laws of thermodynamics in melting the ice.
3. Geologists tell us that large mountains are floating in a dense semifluid
asthenosphere. Explain why high mountains have deep roots. Mountains
such as Mount Everest have deep roots that help them float. These roots are
made up of molten metal and partial earth. The reason that the metal pushes
up on the rocks helping the large mountain stay afloat.