Department of Energy Argonne National Laboratory Office of Science NEWTON's Homepage NEWTON's Homepage
NEWTON, Ask A Scientist!
NEWTON Home Page NEWTON Teachers Visit Our Archives Ask A Question How To Ask A Question Question of the Week Our Expert Scientists Volunteer at NEWTON! Frequently Asked Questions Referencing NEWTON About NEWTON About Ask A Scientist Education At Argonne Can filling with H2O 
Name: Ernest
Status: N/A
Age: 20s 
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
Consider a metal can which is open on one end and which has a small hole in the bottom. This can is released in a glass container slightly wider than the can and into which enough water has been added so that it will cover the can after it sinks. As the can fills with water and eventually sinks to the bottom, the height of the water in the glass changes. Exactly how can this be explained.


Replies:
The metal can has some volume to it. When the water has entered the can and displaced all the air that was in it, the water level will be raised a little bit, because now the volume under the surface of the water is equal to the volume of the water plus the volume of the metal can.

Richard Barrans Jr., Ph.D.


Click here to return to the Physics Archives

NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.

For assistance with NEWTON contact a System Operator (help@newton.dep.anl.gov), or at Argonne's Educational Programs

NEWTON AND ASK A SCIENTIST
Educational Programs
Building 360
9700 S. Cass Ave.
Argonne, Illinois
60439-4845, USA
Update: June 2012
Weclome To Newton

Argonne National Laboratory