Final answer:
To calculate the gauge pressure at the upper face of a cubical block at the oil-water interface, consider the pressures exerted by the oil and the displaced water, where the weight of the block is equal to the buoyant force due to the water. Pressure is calculated using the given density of oil, the known density of water, and gravitational acceleration.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the gauge pressure at the upper face of the cubical block floating at the interface between oil and water, we must consider the pressures exerted by both the oil and the water on the block. The pressure due to the oil layer must first be calculated:
Pressure due to oil (Poil) = height of oil layer above the block × density of oil × gravitational acceleration
Poil = (10 cm - 1.5 cm) × 10-2 m/cm × 790 kg/m3 × 9.8 m/s2
Now, considering that the block is only 1.50 cm deep in the water, only the displaced water contributes to the buoyant force, which equals the weight of the block:
Buoyant force = weight of displaced water = volume of displaced water × density of water × gravitational acceleration
Since the block is in equilibrium, the buoyant force due to the water also equals the weight of the block. Therefore, we can deduce that the pressure on the upper face of the block is equal to the pressure due to the oil layer (Poil).
However, to provide a comprehensive answer, one would need to perform the actual calculations using the formulas provided above to determine the gauge pressure.