Archimedes' Principle Prelab Assignment


Name:_________________________ Lab Section:________

  1. State Archimedes' Principle.







  2. What is specific gravity?







  3. Why are you advised to make several measurements of the diameter of the ball, not all in the same plane? (Besides obviously reducing the random error.)







  4. Why should alcohol be used in the pycnometer before the water?







  5. The density of pure isopropyl alcohol is 0.810 gram/cm3. The alcohol used in this experiment was 30% water (by volume). What calculation was made to find the new density? Show that this gives the answer for 70% isopropyl alcohol found in the lab writeup.












  6. What is the formula for determining the specific gravity of the floating ball in terms of the three measured elongations: xA, xB, xC? (Hint: it is NOT the same as equation (3) for the sinking ball.)















  7. A glass of water contains a large piece of ice floating without touching the bottom of the glass. As you know, some of the ice extends above the surface of the water. As the ice melts, will the level of water in the glass rise, remain the same, or fall? Explain.