Final answer:
The wooden cube will float in water because its density (1.125 g/cm³) is less than the density of water (1 g/cm³). When cut in half, each piece will still float because the density remains unchanged, thus exhibiting buoyancy.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine whether a wooden cube will sink or float in water, we need to calculate its density and compare it to that of water. The density of an object is found by dividing its mass by its volume. In this case, the cube has a mass of 9 grams and a side length of 2 cm. The volume of the cube (V) is the cube of its side length:
- V = side length ³ = 2 cm ³ = 8 cm³
Thus, the density (ρ) of the wooden cube is:
- ρ = mass / volume = 9 g / 8 cm³ = 1.125 g/cm³
The density of water is 1 g/cm³. Since the density of the wooden cube is greater than that of water, the cube will float.
When you cut the wooden block in half, each half will have the same density as the original cube because density is an intensive property and does not depend on the amount of substance. Therefore, each half will also float in water.
This behavior can be explained by the property of buoyancy, which determines that objects with a density less than the fluid in which they are submerged will float.