Which is heavier a bucket of apples or a bucket of water?

Answer by  DougThomas (74)

The bucket of water will be heavier because it is more dense. Not only is there space between the apples (whereas water will conform to the shape of the container) but apples themselves will float in water.

Answer by  cubedbee (155)

Since the volume of the two buckets is identical, the heavier bucket will be the one filled with the most dense object (density is mass per unit volume). Apples are less dense than water, because if you put apples in a bucket of water, they float. So that means the bucket of water would be heavier.

Answer by  Mac44 (479)

Although apples are actually slightly more dense than water, due to the fact that there will be open space between the stacked apples, the bucket of water will be heavier.

Answer by  gmedich (93)

The key is the density [mass/volume] of the two substances in the buckets. Since apples float in water, the answer is the bucket of water.