Keep the Curiosity Alive
You pour oil into a glass containing some water. The oil floats on top. What does this tell you? (i) Oil is denser than water (ii) Water is denser than oil (iii) Oil and water have the same density (iv) Oil dissolves in water
When oil is poured into water, it floats on top of the water.
A substance floats on a liquid when its density is less than the density of that liquid.
Therefore, oil is less dense than water, which means water is denser than oil.
Option (i) is incorrect — if oil were denser it would sink.
Option (iii) is incorrect — same density would mean oil mixes uniformly or neither floats nor sinks distinctly.
Option (iv) is incorrect — oil and water do not mix (they are immiscible); oil floats as a separate layer.
The correct answer is option (ii): Water is denser than oil.
Answer: (ii) Water is denser than oil
