THE PRACTICE STUDIO
Go slowly. Ask why. Make it yours.
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.
- A
- B
- C
- D
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