Substance X is placed in a container with substance Y. Both substances are fluids. Substance X initially sinks to the bottom of the container. After five minutes of being heated on a hot plate, substance X becomes less dense than substance Y.

Question

What will most likely happen next?

Substance X will rise due to convection.
Substance Y will rise due to convection.
Substance X will rise due to radiation.
Substance Y will rise due to radiation.

Answer 1

After substance X becomes less dense than substance Y due to heating, it is most likely that substance X will rise due to convection.

When a fluid is heated, it typically becomes less dense and rises, while the denser fluid (in this case, substance Y) will sink. This creates a convection current, where warmer fluid rises and cooler fluid sinks, facilitating the mixing of the two substances.