A block of ice is floating in a liquid of specific gravity 1.2 contained in a beaker. What will happen to the liquid level when ice completely melts?

Options

A. Liquid level will increase
B. Liquid level will decrease
C. Liquid level will remain unchanged
D. Depends on the size of ice block

Explanation

To solve the problem of what happens to the liquid level when a block of ice floating in a liquid of specific gravity 1.2 completely melts, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Concept of Specific Gravity**:
- Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of water. In this case, the specific gravity of the liquid is 1.2, which means the density of the liquid is 1.2 times the density of water (approximately 1200 kg/m³).

2. **Determine the Density of Ice**:
- The density of ice is approximately 0.9 times the density of water (or about 900 kg/m³). This means ice is less dense than water, which is why it floats.

3. **Analyze the Situation Before Melting**:
- When the ice is floating, it displaces a volume of liquid equal to the weight of the ice. Since the density of the liquid (1.2 g/cm³) is greater than that of ice (0.9 g/cm³), the ice will float and displace a certain volume of the liquid.

4. **Calculate the Volume of Liquid Displaced by the Ice**:
- The volume of liquid displaced by the ice can be calculated using the formula:
\[ \text{Volume of liquid displaced} = \frac{\text{Weight of ice}}{\text{Density of liquid}} \]
- Since the ice is floating, the weight of the ice is equal to the weight of the liquid displaced.

5. **Consider the Effect of Melting**:
- When the ice melts, it turns into water. The volume of water produced from the melted ice is equal to the volume of the ice itself (since the mass remains the same but the density changes).

6. **Compare the Volume Displaced and the Volume of Melted Ice**:
- The volume of water produced from the melted ice (which has a density of 1 g/cm³ or 1000 kg/m³) will occupy less volume than the volume of liquid displaced when the ice was floating because the density of the liquid is greater than that of the melted ice.

7. **Conclusion**:
- Since the volume of water formed from the melted ice is less than the volume of liquid that was displaced by the ice, the overall liquid level in the beaker will decrease when the ice melts.

### Final Answer:
The liquid level in the beaker will decrease when the ice completely melts.

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