A 5-N block of wood is difficult to fully submerge in a pool of mercury because the buoyant force on the block when submerged is
A)less than 5 N.
B)5 N.
C)much more than 5 N.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The buoyant force acting on an object is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. Mercury is a very dense liquid, with a density of 13.6 g/cm³, which is over 13 times the density of water. Therefore, when a block of wood is submerged in mercury, it will displace a relatively small amount of mercury compared to its own weight. The buoyant force acting on the block will be equal to the weight of the displaced mercury, which will be much more than 5 N. Therefore, the block will be difficult to fully submerge in mercury.

A 5-N Block of Wood Is Difficult to Fully Submerge