Solving the Mystery of a Floating Bottle: Density & Volume

In summary, the average density of the floating bottle is 400 kg/m3 and its volume is 1L, but the given answer in the textbook may be incorrect. The density of the bottle is not the same as the density of the material it is made of, as it is partially submerged in water. It is important to consider the principle of Archimedes when solving this type of problem.
  • #1
Callmelucky
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Homework Statement
If we throw empty but sealed glass bottle in water it will float with 60% of it's volume above surface of water.
What is average density of floating bottle and what is it's volume? Mass of bottle is 0.4 kg(mass of air inside of bottle is irelevant).
Relevant Equations
density = mass / volume
If we throw empty but sealed glass bottle in water it will float with 60% of it's volume above the surface of water.
What is average density of floating bottle and what is it's volume? Mass of bottle is 0.4 kg(mass of air inside of bottle is irelevant).

It's easy problem but I can't get right solution.

40% of bottle is under water, so density of bottle is 400 kg/m3. Therefore the volume of is 0.4 kg / 400 kg/m3 = 1dm3 = 1L.

But the answer at the end of textbook for density is 392 kg/m3.

Can someone please tell me where I am wrong?

Thank you.
 
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  • #2
Callmelucky said:
Homework Statement:: If we throw empty but sealed glass bottle in water it will float with 60% of it's volume above surface of water.
What is average density of floating bottle and what is it's volume? Mass of bottle is 0.4 kg(mass of air inside of bottle is irelevant).
Relevant Equations:: density = mass / volume

If we throw empty but sealed glass bottle in water it will float with 60% of it's volume above the surface of water.
What is average density of floating bottle and what is it's volume? Mass of bottle is 0.4 kg(mass of air inside of bottle is irelevant).

It's easy problem but I can't get right solution.

40% of bottle is under water, so density of bottle is 400 kg/m3. Therefore the volume of is 0.4 kg / 400 kg/m3 = 1dm3 = 1L.

But the answer at the end of textbook for density is 392 kg/m3.

Can someone please tell me where I am wrong?

Thank you.
You should be solving for the volume of the bottle first.
 
  • #3
Is the denisty of water given in the text or you are supposed to use 1000 kg/m3?
 
  • #4
erobz said:
You should be solving for the volume of the bottle first.
what do you mean?
I can use density of glass(2500 kg/m3) and get volume of bottle for the mass of 0.4 kg = 0.00016 m3. But I don't see how is that going to help me.
 
  • #5
nasu said:
Is the denisty of water given in the text or you are supposed to use 1000 kg/m3?
Doesn't say. It's usually stated if water is salty or if it has different density, here it says nothing, so i suppose it's 1000kg/m3.
 
  • #6
Callmelucky said:
what do you mean?
I can use density of glass(2500 kg/m3) and get volume of bottle for the mass of 0.4 kg = 0.00016 m3. But I don't see how is that going to help me.
I mean you should be applying Archimedes principle to solve for the volume of the bottle.

When they say find the average density they mean “of the bottle” i.e. the bottles mass per unit volume. That’s not the same as the density of the glass that makes the bottle.
 
  • #7
@erobz How would you even find the density of the glass from the given data? All you can find is the average density. It does not even have to be made from glass. Can be anything. If it's submerged 40%, its average density is 40% of the density of the fluid. It can be a solid piece of wood or an empty container made from steel.
 
  • #8
nasu said:
@erobz How would you even find the density of the glass from the given data? All you can find is the average density. It does not even have to be made from glass. Can be anything. If it's submerged 40%, its average density is 40% of the density of the fluid. It can be a solid piece of wood or an empty container made from steel.
at the end of textbook I have a chart with some densites, glas is 2500 kg/m3. But yeah, I still don't understand what @erobz is trying to explain, I just didn't want to ask more questions because I feel stupid lol 😂
 
  • #9
Callmelucky said:
40% of bottle is under water, so density of bottle is 400 kg/m3. Therefore the volume of is 0.4 kg / 400 kg/m3 = 1dm3 = 1L.

But the answer at the end of textbook for density is 392 kg/m3.
The density of pure water is a bit under 1000 kg/m3, but only 0.3%. The given answer is 2% below what you have calculated. That's about the difference between g and 10m/s2, but how that can have entered into it I have no idea.
 
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  • #10
haruspex said:
The density of pure water is a bit under 1000 kg/m3, but only 0.3%. The given answer is 2% below what you have calculated. That's about the difference between g and 10m/s2, but how that can have entered into it I have no idea.
Then probably authors' mistake
 
  • #11
nasu said:
@erobz How would you even find the density of the glass from the given data? All you can find is the average density. It does not even have to be made from glass. Can be anything. If it's submerged 40%, its average density is 40% of the density of the fluid. It can be a solid piece of wood or an empty container made from steel.
Sorry, when I saw them pulling numbers out of seemingly nowhere, I just assumed that's where the mistake was. I never bothered to commit that result to memory myself, so when I didn't see:

$$ p\cancel{g} 0.4 V_T = m\cancel{g} \implies V_T = \frac{m}{0.4\rho } $$

I leaped to false a conclusion that a mistake had been made.

Again...Sorry.
 
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  • #12
Callmelucky said:
at the end of textbook I have a chart with some densites, glas is 2500 kg/m3. But yeah, I still don't understand what @erobz is trying to explain, I just didn't want to ask more questions because I feel stupid lol 😂
Don't feel stupid for being right(or wrong)! Stand your ground, and it will get sorted out. Anyone can make a mistake.
 
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  • #13
erobz said:
Sorry, when I saw them pulling numbers out of seemingly nowhere, I just assumed that's where the mistake was. I never bothered to commit that result to memory myself, so when I didn't see:

$$ p\cancel{g} 0.4 V_T = m\cancel{g} \implies V_T = \frac{m}{0.4\rho } $$

I leaped to false a conclusion that a mistake had been made.

Again...Sorry.
Thanks for trying to help. 😊
 
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  • #14
Because the book gives the mass of the bottle as 0.4 kg and not 0.400kg or better still 4.00x10^(-1) ]kg their answer to three significant figures should be graded with a zero
 
  • #15
erobz said:
Sorry, when I saw them pulling numbers out of seemingly nowhere, I just assumed that's where the mistake was. I never bothered to commit that result to memory myself, so when I didn't see:

$$ p\cancel{g} 0.4 V_T = m\cancel{g} \implies V_T = \frac{m}{0.4\rho } $$

I leaped to false a conclusion that a mistake had been made.

Again...Sorry.
If it makes you feel better, I did not comit it to the memory either. :smile:
I just scratched on a piece of paper exactly wht you wrote here, before writing that post.
 
Last edited:
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  • #16
hutchphd said:
Because the book gives the mass of the bottle as 0.4 kg and not 0.400kg or better still 4.00x10^(-1) ]kg their answer to three significant figures should be graded with a zero
It's actually given in dag, so 40 dag.
I just converted it so that it "looks better"
 
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What is density and why is it important in solving the mystery of a floating bottle?

Density is a physical property that measures the amount of mass per unit volume of a substance. In the case of a floating bottle, understanding its density can help us determine if it will sink or float in a given liquid. This is because objects with a higher density will sink while those with a lower density will float.

How can we calculate the density of a floating bottle?

To calculate the density of a floating bottle, we need to know its mass and volume. Mass can be measured using a scale, while volume can be determined by measuring the dimensions of the bottle. Once we have these values, we can use the formula density = mass/volume to calculate the density of the bottle.

What factors can affect the density of a floating bottle?

The density of a floating bottle can be affected by various factors such as temperature, pressure, and the type of liquid it is floating in. For example, a bottle filled with air will have a lower density than a bottle filled with water, causing it to float. Additionally, changes in temperature and pressure can also affect the density of the liquid, which in turn can affect the buoyancy of the bottle.

Why does a floating bottle sometimes sink and vice versa?

If a floating bottle sinks, it means that its density has increased and become greater than the density of the liquid it is floating in. This can happen if the bottle takes in water or if the liquid becomes denser due to changes in temperature or pressure. On the other hand, if a sinking bottle suddenly starts to float, it means that its density has decreased and become less than the density of the liquid, which can happen if air is released from the bottle or if the liquid becomes less dense.

How can understanding density and volume help us solve the mystery of a floating bottle?

By understanding density and volume, we can make predictions about whether a bottle will float or sink in a given liquid. This knowledge can also help us determine the contents of the bottle, as different substances have different densities. Additionally, understanding density and volume can also help us in other scientific investigations and experiments that involve measuring and comparing the properties of different substances.

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