A 15 cm3 block of gold weighs 2.8 N. It is carefully submerged in a tank of mercury. One cm3 of mercury weighs 0.13 N.

a. Will the mercury be displaced by the gold?

b. Will the gold sink or float in the mercury?

The density of gold is 2.8 N / 15 = 0.18 units

The density of mercury is 0.13/1 = 0.13 units

Since the density of gold is more than density of mercury, it will sink.

Since the gold will sink, it will displace mercury, but less than its own volume