Final answer:
The density of the wooden dowel can be determined using the principle of buoyancy to calculate the volume of the submerged part and the total volume of the dowel which, when combined with the mass of the displaced water, provides the density of the dowel.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the density of the wooden dowel based on its flotation characteristics, you can use the principle of buoyancy, which states that the buoyant force exerted on a submerged object equals the weight of the fluid displaced by that object. Since the dowel floats in water, the weight of the displaced water equals the weight of the dowel.
First, calculate the volume of the submerged part of the dowel: The dowel has a diameter of 1.20 cm, and the submerged height is the total diameter minus the portion above water, which is 1.20 cm - 0.400 cm = 0.800 cm. The volume (V) of the submerged cylinder is V = πr^2h, where r is the radius (half the diameter) and h is the submerged height. Plugging in values, V = π(0.6 cm)^2(0.8 cm).
Second, calculate the mass (m) of the dowel using the density (ρ) of water (1 g/cm^3) and the volume of water displaced which equals the volume of the submerged part of the dowel: m = ρ_water * V_submerged.
Finally, to find the density of the dowel, divide the mass of the dowel by the total volume of the dowel. The total volume is the same formula V = πr^2h, but with h being the full diameter of the dowel since it's cylindrical. The density of the dowel is ρ_dowel = m / V_total.
Using these steps, you can calculate the density of the dowel.