Question

1. did you know that an unopened 355 ml can of diet dr. pepper will float in a lake? that’s a fact! however, it’s also a fact that an unopened 355 ml can of regular dr. pepper will sink in that same lake! based on these two facts, which type of soda is the least dense? explain your answer.

Explanation:

To determine which soda is least dense, we use the principle of buoyancy: an object floats if its density is less than the fluid (lake water) and sinks if its density is greater. Both cans have the same volume (355 mL). Diet Dr. Pepper floats (density < water density), regular Dr. Pepper sinks (density > water density). Since density = mass/volume, and volume is equal, the one with lower density has less mass. Thus, diet Dr. Pepper has less mass (and lower density) than regular, so diet Dr. Pepper is the least dense.

Answer:

Diet Dr. Pepper is the least dense soda. This is because the unopened 355 mL can of diet Dr. Pepper floats in the lake (indicating its density is less than the lake water’s density), while the 355 mL can of regular Dr. Pepper sinks (indicating its density is greater than the lake water’s density). Since both cans have the same volume, the one with lower density (diet Dr. Pepper, as it floats) must have less mass (from \( \text{density} = \frac{\text{mass}}{\text{volume}} \)), meaning it is the least dense.