Re: buoyancy puzzle (long!)

["Carl E. Mungan" <mungan@USNA.EDU>]

John Denker wrote:

> In this case, imagine that the glue is a form of rubber cement.
> Sticky, but somewhat compressible.  When you subject the glued
> blocks to great pressure, the glue compresses a bit (decreases
> in volume) and exerts a pressure on the glued faces.

Okay, fine. But now back to the original question. Here are two situations:

1. I hold a block of wood (density = 0.8 g/mL) underwater against the
buoyant force. A small distance beneath it, I hold a block of metal
(density = 1.2 g/mL) in my other hand. I let go. The wood rises and
the metal sinks.

2. Same as above, but this time I completely replace the water in the
gap between the two blocks with rubber cement. I again let go. What
happens? Under what circumstances (if any) would the two break apart?
--
Carl E. Mungan, Asst. Prof. of Physics  410-293-6680 (O) -3729 (F)
      U.S. Naval Academy, Stop 9C, Annapolis, MD 21402-5026
mungan@usna.edu    http://physics.usna.edu/physics/faculty/mungan/