Salt water is denser than fresh water. A ship floats in both fresh water and salt water. Compared to the fresh water, the volume of water displaced in the salt water is
A) the same.
B) more.
C) less.
D) Cannot be determined because we do not know the volume of the ship.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The ship will displace less volume of salt water compared to fresh water because salt water is denser. For the ship to float, it needs to displace an amount of water equal to its weight. Since salt water is denser, a smaller volume of it will have the same weight as a larger volume of fresh water.

Salt Water Is Denser Than Fresh Water