Question

Oil and vinegar salad dressing settles with the oil floating on top of the vinegar. Explain this phenomenon in terms of density.

a) Oil is denser than vinegar
b) Vinegar is denser than oil
c) Both have the same density
d) Oil and vinegar do not have density differences

Answer 1

Oil floats on vinegar in salad dressing because oil is less dense than vinegar, causing the oil to form a layer on top. Option b is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

Oil and vinegar salad dressing settles with the oil floating on top of the vinegar because of differences in density. The correct explanation for this phenomenon is that vinegar is denser than oil, which causes oil to float on top when they are mixed.

This is a common observation with immiscible liquids, where the less dense substance forms a layer above the denser one. Similar to how oil floats on water, the nonpolar oil does not dissolve in the polar vinegar and stays as a separate layer due to its lower density.