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PRACTICE / Floating equilibrium

Check the layer before the fraction

A uniform upright prism is 24 cm tall with density 1000 kg/m³. It straddles deep lower liquid of density 1200 kg/m³ and an upper layer of density 800 kg/m³ that is only 6.0 cm deep after equilibrium. The orientation is stable; the prism does not touch the vessel.

What height of the prism is above the upper free surface?

Organize the givens & assumptions
  • H = 0.24 m
  • ρbody = 1000 kg/m³
  • Upper layer depth = 0.060 m
  • ρupper = 800 kg/m³
  • ρlower = 1200 kg/m³

Settled hydrostatic equilibrium in uniform gravity; stable stated orientation, no contact forces unless stated, negligible air buoyancy and surface tension, no absorption, trapped gas or spilling.

  1. A0 cm0\ \mathrm{cm}
  2. B6.0 cm6.0\ \mathrm{cm}
  3. C12 cm12\ \mathrm{cm}
  4. D2.0 cm2.0\ \mathrm{cm}

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