TBR Archimede's principle clarification

[pepocho]

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[DrknoSDN]

Previously discussed here.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/water-and-ice-density-question.1004350/
and
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/tbr-gchem-ex-7-21.750759/

If the object were less dense, solid and ,was floating. The mass of water displaced would equal the mass of the object (archimedes principle). If the object melts, the density of the object and the solvent (water I presume) would be mixed and become lowered. If density decreases, then volume must of increased

If the object were more dense, the object would sink because of buoyancy. So, if the object were to somehow melt, the density and the water mixed, so density increases, and the volume must decrease!

If you are making up a new object that is not an ice cube there are innumerable options that could change all the parameters of this question. Upon melting the object could be miscible or immiscible, it could have greater or lower density, it could completely skip the liquid phase and go straight to gas at atmospheric pressure etc. etc.


To answer your specific question, if density decreases, and a solid floating object goes to a liquid then yes volume will increase.

The second scenario using an object that is more dense than the fluid has too many variables upon melting. The density of the mixed fluid would be unpredictable unless you knew the density of the solid object when it's in liquid phase.

 

[pepocho]

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