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Teacher Support Material
Density
1. Archimedes is famous for discovering that a king’s crown, supposedly made of
solid gold, was in fact made of lead covered with gold. How do think he proved his
case?
2. A block of iron or steel will sink if it put into water. Most of the ships in the world
are made of iron and steel and they float. Can you explain this?
3. Will a ship sink further in fresh water or in sea water? Find out about the Plimsoll
Line on a ship.
4. In olden times, it was common for ship cargo to be loaded in fresh water and then
delivered and unloaded in sea water. Can you see a problem with this for anybody?
What would the effect be if it was done the other way around?
5. How could you prove that a barman was watering down the whiskey without you
having to drink any of it?
6. A boat containing a large rock is floating in a swimming pool. If the rock is thrown
overboard and sinks to the bottom of the pool, does the level of water in the pool
rise, fall or stay the same? ( note: this answer requires knowledge of the Law of
Flotation)