Brain Teasers
Which One First?
Science
Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.Science
If I dropped a bowling ball in a bucket of water which is 45 degrees F, and dropped another bowling ball of the same weight, mass, and size in a bucket at 30 degrees F, both of them at the same time, which ball would hit the bottom of the bucket first?
Show Answer
What Next?
View a Similar Brain Teaser...
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Solve a Puzzle
Comments
Oct 06, 2001
What if the 30 degree bucket doesn't contain water?
Thanks, pal. I tried this and got extremely wet.
what if the 30 degree bucket contains salt water, so it isn't frozen?
clever one
Oh am I glad I got that right off the bat or else I would be feeling really dumb right about now.
I said 45 degrees, but had no idea the water would be frozen. I'm a Celcius guy.
Oct 17, 2005
Lame
Well pedler, I thought quite the oppisite. A classic trick, I liked it. 
I think this one kind of belongs in the trick section... Dunno.
I said they'd both hit at the same time lol.
I said they'd both hit at the same time lol.
classic trick but ez 
oops, all i know is farenheit and i didn't get that. 
I said heat was irrelevant to gravity.
I said heat was irrelevant to gravity.
Right, the freezing point of water is 32 f
If the water isn't frozen, the correct answer is the hotter one. When the ball is in the water, upthrust acts on it. Since the volume of both balls are the same, the magnituce of upthrust soley depends on the density of the fliud. Since water if more dense when cold, a larger upthrust acts on it, increasing time taken to reach the bottom.
I got tricked and I feel like a fool. Good teaser. I need to slow down and pay attention. 
I use celcius, always have. I keep hearing all these different farenheit temperatures, but they never stick 
If I were to hear someone had a temperature of 90 something, I'd call the guy a liar and say that they'd be dead
In celcius, water freezes at 0 degrees :-\
If I were to hear someone had a temperature of 90 something, I'd call the guy a liar and say that they'd be dead
In celcius, water freezes at 0 degrees :-\
I said 45 deg water thinking the warmer water would be less dense due to the molicules expanding with heat.
So I got the answer right, but for the wrong reason!
One of the best teasers I have rated for a while - going on my faves list!
So I got the answer right, but for the wrong reason!
One of the best teasers I have rated for a while - going on my faves list!
I was going through these old teasers and hit this one. I am impressed. I usually nail these right off but you led me down the garden path on this one! Great job! PS. I'm not going to whine about salt water, molecules, etc. These are just for people upset with their inability to get the right answer.
got me the first time I saw it, but this time I got it right away.
Follow Braingle!