How can you determine if a liquid will float or sink in water?

To determine whether a liquid will float or sink in water, the concept of specific gravity is crucial. Specific gravity is a dimensionless quantity that compares the density of a substance to the density of water. Water has a specific gravity of 1. When the specific gravity of a liquid is less than 1, it indicates that the liquid is less dense than water, allowing it to float. Therefore, if a liquid has a specific gravity of less than 1, it will indeed float.

In contrast, a specific gravity greater than 1 means that the substance is denser than water and will sink. A specific gravity equal to 1 suggests the substance is neutrally buoyant, potentially producing a balance where it neither floats nor sinks entirely, depending on other factors such as temperature and impurities. Density greater than 0 is a fundamental property of matter; even liquids with very low density are not considered to have a density of 0, so that statement would not hold. Thus, the connection between specific gravity and the floating or sinking behavior of liquids is key to understanding why the correct answer correctly describes this principle.