A chemical with a specific gravity greater than one tends to float on water.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Sometimes
• D. Always

Answer: (B)

The main concept here is buoyancy in water as determined by density through specific gravity. Specific gravity compares a substance’s density to water’s density. If the SG is greater than one, the substance is denser than water, so it will generally sink when placed on a water surface because the buoyant force isn’t enough to keep it afloat. Only materials with SG less than one tend to float. There can be momentary surface-tension effects or dispersion behaviors, but the overall rule is that SG > 1 sinks. So the statement is false.