Beaker with a mass in the center in a tank of water
Blocks with masses attached to it
Round blocks with masses attached in a tank of water

 

Code Number: 2B40.18

Demo Title: Beakers or Boards and Masses

Condition: Excellent

Area of Study: Fluids

Equipment: 

Plastic beaker with masses, Round blocks with attached masses, Plexiglas tank.

Procedure:

Place the beaker with a mass in the center into a tank of water.  Keep adding masses until the beaker sinks. The beaker has a volume of just over 1400 cc's so it will take approximately that much mass before the beaker will sink.

Place the blocks with the attached masses into a tank of water.  The one with two masses will sink while the one with one mass will float.  

References:

  • Terrence Toepker, "Archimedes Revisited and Beyond", TPT, Vol. 61, #9, Dec. 2023, p. 780.
  • Robert Ehrlich, "H.2, Sinking a Floating Block", Turning the World Inside Out, p. 97.
  • Julius Sumner Miller, Q134 & A134, Millergrams II – Some More Enchanting Questions for Enquiring Minds, p. 22 & 83.