Question

Why is cotton is solid but it floats on water?

Answer 1

Solids:

• Solids have a fixed shape and a fixed volume.
• Solids cannot be compressed.
• Solids have high densities.
• A porous solid is simply any solid with empty space that is not occupied by the main framework of atoms that make up the solid structure.

Cause of floating on water: A substance having lesser density than water can float over the water.

Cotton floats on water:

• Cotton is a porous solid with tiny (porous) pores in it.
• Cotton's pores tend to trap air, resulting in a lower density than water.
• Cotton floats on water because cotton is lighter than water.
• Cotton will begin to sink when the pores of cotton are filled with water.