Reference no: EM133271344

You've seen density in action before, but you've probably never realized it. Does wood sink in water? No, it floats (until it is water-logged, at least). What else floats in water? A duck! Both float due to their densities being less than that of water. Do very small rocks float in water? No, because they have a higher density than water.

These are examples of density in action. There isn't a magic density value, such as 1g/cm3, that causes objects to "float". In order for an object to float, its density must simply be less than that of the materials surrounding it.

One common way to decrease an object's density is to heat up the object. Think of a hot air balloon. The reason for this is that objects expand (increase in volume) when heated and contract (decrease in volume) when cooled.

With this in mind, why do icebergs float in oceans?

A. Icebergs are composed of frozen fresh water, not saltwater, that break away from glaciers.

B. Water has the unusual property of also increasing in volume when frozen, which lowers its density.

C. All of these answers are correct.

D. Oceans have higher salinity, and thus greater density than icebergs.