A piece of iron sinks to the bottom of a lake where the pressure is 21 times what it is at the surface of the lake. Which statement best describes what happens to the volume of that piece of iron?
A) Its volume increases slightly.
B) Its volume decreases slightly.
C) Its volume becomes 1/21 what it was at the surface.
D) Its volume becomes 21 times greater than at the surface.
E) There has been no change in the volume of the iron.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Iron is a solid with a very high bulk modulus, meaning it is very resistant to compression. However, under extremely high pressures, like 21 times atmospheric pressure at the bottom of a lake, its volume will decrease slightly, not significantly, due to its incompressible nature.

A Piece of Iron Sinks to the Bottom of a Lake