At 05:01 PM 1/29/01 -0500, Wade G. Pemberton wrote:
>John Nitrox wrote:
>
>>         The level has fallen!  While resting on the wood the penny
displaces as
>> much volume as its weight in wood would displace.
>
>Actually, both the penny and the wood displace as much volume as their
weight in
>WATER would equal....


EUREKA!

>
>> When it falls in the
>> water it only displaces as much volume as its weight in copper would.
>> Since copper is more dense than water which in turn is more dense than the
>> wood under discussion, the water level will drop.  Win or lose this stuff
>> is fun.
>>
>
>Now add a layer of diesel fuel on top of the water, as in say the
Galapagos, and
>refloat the wood/penny combo on the diesel fuel, which is floating on the
water.
>Now when the penny fell of this time, which direction would the levels of
water and
>diesel move?
>Which would move more, if either?

                I think these are different problems.  The diesel fuel in the Galapagos
is in the water; diesel fuel in a glass would be much more likely to cover
the surface of the water entirely and be on the water.  Then again I'm no
physicist, but I know a few.  :-)


DPTNST,


John