Question 11:
moderate
An open U-tube contains mercury. When 11.2 cm of water is poured into one of the arms of the tube, how high does the mercury rise in the other arm from its initial level ?
When 11.2 cm of water is poured into one arm, it balances a mercury column of height 2x, where x is the height the mercury rises in the other arm.
Using the pressure balance equation (density of water * height of water = density of mercury * 2x), we get 1 * 11.2 = 13.6 * 2x. Solving for x yields 0.41 cm, making Option 3 the correct answer.