Masses a and b rest on very light pistons that enclose a fluid. there is no friction between the pistons and the cylinders they fit inside. block b has a bigger volume than block a. which of the following is true?

a)density of b is the same as density of a

b)density of b is greater than density of a

c)density of b is smaller than density of a

d)not enough information

D)Not enough information

Explanation:

According to Pascal's principle, the pressure exerted on the two pistons is equal:

Pressure is given by the ratio between force F and area A, so we can write

The force exerted on each piston is just equal to the weight of the corresponding mass: , where m is the mass and g is the gravitational acceleration. So the equation becomes

Now we can rewrite the mass as the product of volume, V, times density, d:

We also know that

So we can further re-arrange the equation (and simplify g as well):

We are also told that block B has bigger volume than block A: . However, this information is not enough to allow us to say if the fraction on the right is greater than 1 or smaller than 1: therefore, we cannot conclude anything about the densities of the two objects.

whichever one it is, it's definitely not one that you included on the list you provided.

there are no contact forces mentioned on the list of choices that you've provided.