Foundation
Physics Foundation
Floatation
Question

A fresh egg sinks in pure water, whereas it floats in saturated salty water. This is due to :

The fluid matter inside the egg-shell

The fact that the egg-shell is made of calcium which is heavier than pure water

Higher density of the pure water

 Higher density of the salty water

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Solution
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This phenomenon is explained by density and Archimedes' principle. An object floats if the density of the fluid is greater than the object's density. A fresh egg has a density slightly higher than pure water, so it sinks.

When salt is dissolved in water, it increases the water's density. The density of saturated salty water becomes higher than the egg's density, providing a greater buoyant force, causing the egg to float.

The buoyant force is given by Fb=ρfluidgV, where ρfluid is the fluid density.

Final Answer: Higher density of the salty water