Final answer:
The Physics question deals with the principle of buoyancy and how the weight of a steel block changes when submerged in saltwater compared to air. A steel block will appear to weigh less in saltwater due to a greater buoyant force; however, the provided options are insufficient to calculate the exact weight without the saltwater's density.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is Physics, and it relates to the concept of buoyancy, which describes how the weight of an object is affected by the fluid it displaces. In this case, a steel block weighing 375 lbs./170kg displaces 2 cubic feet of water in air. Saltwater is denser than freshwater, so the buoyant force on the steel block will be greater in saltwater, causing it to 'weight' less when submerged. However, since the density of steel is much greater than the density of saltwater, the block will remain submerged, just with a slightly different apparent weight due to the increased buoyant force.
According to Archimedes' principle, the buoyant force is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced. Since the block displaces the same volume of saltwater (2 cubic feet) but saltwater is denser, we can deduce that the buoyant force in the saltwater would be greater compared to that in freshwater. However, given options do not provide enough information to directly calculate the difference in weight due to the different densities. The options provided do not take this into account, and choices 1) through 4) seem to be arbitrary without the specific density of the saltwater. In a more complete scenario, to find the apparent weight in saltwater, the difference in buoyant force between salt and freshwater would need to be subtracted from the original weight in air.