While performing experiments with water, Jyoti observed that an empty steel bowl floats but a small iron nail sinks in water. This can be explained by the fact that

Options

A. (a) iron Is lighter than water and steel Is heavier than water
B. (b) force on a steel bowl Is more than Its weight whereas force on an Iron nail Is less than Its weight
C. (c) force on an Iron nail is more than its weight whereas force on a steel bowl Is lesser than Its weight
D. (d) Iron Is heavier than water and steel Is lighter than water

Answer

To solve the question regarding why an empty steel bowl floats while a small iron nail sinks in water, we can break down the explanation into several steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Density**:
- Density is defined as mass per unit volume. Objects with a density less than that of water will float, while those with a density greater than water will sink.

2. **Analyzing the Iron Nail**:
- The small iron nail has a higher density compared to water. This means that the mass of the nail is greater than the mass of an equal volume of water. As a result, the iron nail sinks when placed in water.

3. **Analyzing the Empty Steel Bowl**:
- The empty steel bowl, despite being made of steel (which is denser than water), has a larger volume. The overall density of the bowl (considering its shape and the air inside it) is less than that of water. Therefore, it floats.

4. **Comparing the Two Objects**:
- The key difference between the two objects is their density relative to water. The iron nail is denser than water and thus sinks, while the empty steel bowl has a lower density than water and floats.

5. **Conclusion**:
- The observation made by Jyoti can be explained by the principle of buoyancy, which states that an object will float if it displaces a volume of water equal to its weight. The empty steel bowl displaces enough water to support its weight, while the iron nail does not.

### Final Answer:
The reason Jyoti observed that the empty steel bowl floats while the small iron nail sinks is that the density of the iron nail is greater than that of water, causing it to sink, whereas the density of the empty steel bowl is less than that of water, allowing it to float.

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