Ball Bearing Box
Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.
Suppose you have an open topped box that is 5cm x 5cm x 5cm. (capacity: 125 cubic centimetres) Inside the box is a steel ball bearing that is 25 cubic centimetres in size. Next to the box is a two-liter pail filled with mercury. How many cubic centimetres of mercury would you have to pour into the box to completely submerge the ball bearing?
Answer
You couldn't. Mercury is so dense steel floats in it.
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Comments
pusandave
Apr 05, 2002
| Yes that is true, but by putting 100 CCs in the box with bearing you can close the lid and completely submerge it. The cube would then be completely full. |
emilymonkeymaia
Apr 12, 2002
| Good one! |
cathalmccabe
Apr 17, 2002
| You could push it under |
Lilman_220
Apr 17, 2002
| Blaze are you a cience wiz or something?!?! |
Lilman_220
Apr 17, 2002
| ^science |
chamber44
Apr 26, 2002
| I want to know where pusandave got this imaginary "lid" that wasn't even in the problem. |
jimmh22
May 06, 2002
| I realy enjoyed this one
|
(user deleted)
Aug 14, 2002
| Nice...Very Nice... But Cathal...Push it under, feel the quicksilver diffuse through your skin. |
CCat20  
Oct 06, 2002
| If you push it under you run the risk of ending up like Jonny Tremain. |
boodler  
Nov 03, 2005
| Surely the ball floats "on" the mercury rather than "in" it! |
achnid
Dec 31, 2005
| um he never said "push it under with your finger" you can use almost any object to push it under. |
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