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Physics Question
I'm studying for my physics final and my prof gave us a practice test to take. I'm unsure about a question on it and the reasoning behind the answer.
The question asks:
A waiter in a restaurant fills a pitcher full of water and ice so that water would spill out if any more ice was added. As the ice starts to melt:
a. The water level in hte pitcher falls
b. the water level in the pitcher remains the same
c. water starts to flow out the spout of the pitcher
d. the pressure on the bottom of the pitcher decreases
e. the pressure on the bottom of the picther increases
I think the answer is (a) because ice expands when it freezes, its volume increases, and therefore when it starts to melt it takes up less volume and therefore the water level falls. The only basis for this conclusion is my personal observation of frozen water and the fact that ice is less dense than water indicating that its volume is slightly bigger since denisity is mass/volume.
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