Final answer:
Sea water is not denser than corn syrup. When floating in freshwater, a body with a density of 995 kg/m³ will be almost entirely submerged, while in salt water with a density of 1027 kg/m³, less of the body will be submerged.
Step-by-step explanation:
The density of sea water is higher than that of freshwater due to the dissolved salts it contains. When considering the density of corn syrup, it is substantially denser than both freshwater and seawater. To answer the student's initial question, sea water is not denser than corn syrup.
For a body with a density of 995 kg/m³, the fraction of the body that will be submerged when floating gently in freshwater can be determined by the ratio of the body's density to that of the water. Freshwater typically has a density of approximately 1000 kg/m³. Therefore, almost the entire body would be submerged with a small fraction possibly above water. For salt water, with a higher density of 1027 kg/m³, a body with a density of 995 kg/m³ would float more easily, meaning a larger fraction of the body would be above the water's surface.