Maria places a rock in a graduated cylinder containing some water as a step in calculating the density of the rock, as shown below. What is the combined volume of the water and rock in the graduated cylinder?

Rationale

The combined volume of the water and rock in the graduated cylinder is 30 mL.

When Maria adds the rock to the graduated cylinder, the total volume is the sum of the initial water volume and the volume displaced by the rock. If the initial water volume was measured at 26 mL and the rock displaces an additional 4 mL, the total combined volume becomes 30 mL.

A (9 mL) YOUR ANSWER

This choice inaccurately represents the total volume, as it does not account for the volume of water in the graduated cylinder before the rock was added. The volume indicated is far too low to be a plausible measurement in this scenario.

B (26 mL) YOUR ANSWER

This option suggests that the total volume remains unchanged at 26 mL, which would only occur if the rock had zero volume. However, since the rock displaces water when submerged, the actual combined volume must exceed the initial water volume.

D (15 mL) YOUR ANSWER

Selecting 15 mL reflects a misunderstanding of the volume displacement principle. This value is significantly lower than the initial water level and does not account for the rock's volume, indicating a failure to recognize that the total volume increases when the rock is added to the water.

Conclusion

The calculation of total volume in a graduated cylinder involves understanding volume displacement. In this case, the initial water volume combined with the volume displaced by the rock leads to a total of 30 mL. The other answer choices fail to reflect the principles of volume measurement and displacement, confirming that they are incorrect.

Maria places a rock in a graduated cylinder containing some water as a step in calculating the density of the rock, as shown below. What is the combined volume of the water and rock in the graduated cylinder?

The combined volume of the water and rock in the graduated cylinder is 30 mL.

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