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Does glass float or sink?

Does glass float or sink? I recently conducted an experiment with a glass in a bucket of water. When I placed the glass upright, it floated. However, when I inverted it, it sank. Can someone explain why this happens?

5 Answers

A
Anonymous

Feb 12, 2025

the glass sink in water as it's density 2600 kg/m^3

but now it is not about the density it is about the shape and the average density

like the ship made of steel but it floats 😀

when the cup contain air it floats when it is inverted doesn't contain air it sink it is all about the average denisty

A
Anonymous

Feb 20, 2025

Glass sinks or floats depending on the configuration it is in.

Consider a slide cover for a microscope slide (it's a paper thin piece of glass about 1cm square.) If you lay it into the water edge-wise, it will sink. If you lay it on the water face-wise, there is a good chance it will float. (surface tension of the water.)

Buoyancy will float the glass (cup/container) if the base can displace enough water before the rim submerges. Archimedes principle says that the buoyant forces is equal to the weight of the water displaced. So it would appear that the glass you chose displaces its weight in water before the rim of the glass becomes submerged. [Also, the position of the center of gravity while floating is in a stable position -- such that the glass won't capsize while floating.]

When you invert the same glass, it should also float. However, it is highly probable that the glass has a tendency to capsize rather than remain stably inverted -- the center of gravity of the glass is too high over the waterline relative to the size of the base. When the glass capsizes, water fills the glass, leaving it no chance to displace its weight in water (plus the weight of the water taken on as a result of capsizing.) So the glass ultimately sinks.

Floating or sinking is just a matter of material configuration -- can the configuration displace its weight in water in a way that the configuration remains in a stable equilibrium (won't capsize.) That's why steel ships float, and poorly designed watercraft sink.

A
Anonymous

Feb 14, 2025

yeah thats right,,, because when u put it the right way up it has more surface area in contact with water n so the water aplies more upthrust(upward force) on the glass so it floats.

on the other hand if i invert the glass then only the rim of the glass is in contact with water n so lesser area of contact n lesser upthrust n so it sank.

remember a ship is made of iron and its too heavy still it floats while an iron pin alwys sinks though it is way to much lighter in comparison to ship and this is because the ship has more surface area in contact with water..

A
Anonymous

Feb 17, 2025

glass sinks.

>A< glass will float depending on what angle you put it on

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