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Re: Test question

Herbert H Gottlieb wrote:

Brian Whatcott's response is good so far, but he failed
to consider the possibility that the weight of the second
added block would cause the cup to sink below the surface
of the water.

Try again?


Assuming that the mass of the plastic cup is negligible, the water
originally displaced is due to the weight of the 1st block. If a second
block is added and the cup doesn't sink - we all agree that the water level
will rise by an amount determined by the weight of the 2nd block.

If the cup sinks, the two blocks will now float to the surface - still
displacing their weights - the weight of the 1st, pus the additional weight
of the 2nd - so again the water level rises. In fact it rises to the same
level that it would if the the cup didn't sink.

bob at PC