Skip to content

Course home

Solids, liquids and gases

Solids, liquids and gases

EasyMedium
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687
Question 4

A student determines the density of an unknown liquid by measuring the hydrostatic pressure at the bottom of a vertical column of height 0.80 m.

The pressure sensor used has a systematic zero error: it reads +1.5 kPa when the pressure is zero. With the column filled, the sensor shows a reading of 9.5 kPa.

Using g=9.81 m s−2g = 9.81\text{ m s}^{-2}g=9.81 m s−2, what is the actual density of the liquid, and how does the student's calculated density (if they fail to correct for the zero error) compare to the actual density?

A

Actual density is 1020 kg m−31020\text{ kg m}^{-3}1020 kg m−3; the calculated density is too large.

B

Actual density is 1020 kg m−31020\text{ kg m}^{-3}1020 kg m−3; the calculated density is too small.

C

Actual density is 1210 kg m−31210\text{ kg m}^{-3}1210 kg m−3; the calculated density is too small.

D

Actual density is 1400 kg m−31400\text{ kg m}^{-3}1400 kg m−3; the calculated density is too large.

Markscheme

Solids, liquids and gases Questions

  1. IGCSE
  2. /Physics
  3. /Solids, liquids and gases

Question bank