Camphor floats in water.
Based on the provided information, when camphor is placed in water, it will float. This is explicitly stated in the reference: "While camphor floats in water, both paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene will sink."
This indicates that the density of camphor is lower than the density of water. Objects float when their density is less than the density of the liquid they are in, and they sink when their density is greater.
The reference also provides a comparison of how these substances behave in different liquids, highlighting the role of the liquid's density:
- Behavior in Water:
- Camphor: Floats
- Paradichlorobenzene: Sinks
- Naphthalene: Sinks
- Behavior in 50% Dextrose Solution:
- Camphor: Floats
- Paradichlorobenzene: Sinks
- Naphthalene: Floats
As shown, while camphor consistently floats in both water and 50% dextrose, the behavior of naphthalene changes, floating in the denser 50% dextrose solution but sinking in water. This further confirms that buoyancy is determined by the relative densities of the object and the surrounding fluid.
