Question

What fraction of ice is submerged when it floats in freshwater, given the density of water at 0°C is very close to 1000 kg/m³?

(a) 1/10
(b) 1/2
(c) 9/10
(d) 1/9

Answer 1

When ice floats in freshwater, a fraction of it is submerged. The fraction of ice submerged is 9/10.

Step-by-step explanation:

When ice floats in freshwater, a fraction of it is submerged. This is because of Archimedes' Principle, which states that an object will displace a weight of fluid equal to its own weight. In this case, the weight of the ice is equal to the weight of the water it displaces. Since ice is less dense than water, it will displace a larger volume of water than its own volume.

The density of ice at 0°C is 917 kg/m³, while the density of freshwater is close to 1000 kg/m³. We can calculate the fraction of ice submerged by finding the ratio of the densities:

Fraction submerged = (Density of ice) / (Density of water)

Therefore, the fraction of ice submerged in freshwater is approximately 917/1000, which simplifies to 9/10. So the correct answer is (c) 9/10.