King Hiero II suspected that his new _______ was not made of pure gold. He asked _______ a famous Greek scientist, to find out if the goldsmith had cheated him. Archimedes realized the solution while taking a _______ when he noticed that the water level _______ as he stepped in. This helped him understand that the volume of an object can be measured by the volume of _______ it displaces.
To test the crown, Archimedes compared its _______ in water with that of pure gold of the same _______ . He discovered that the crown displaced _______ water than the gold, proving that it was mixed with a less _______ metal, like silver. This discovery is now known as _______ ’s Principle, which explains how objects float and sink based on the weight of the fluid they displace.
Question 12
12.
Archimedes discovered that the king’s crown displaced more water than a lump of pure gold of the same weight.
Explain why this proved that the crown was not made of pure gold. Use the idea of density in your answer.
Archimedes and the King’s Golden Crown
A long time ago in ancient Greece, King Hiero II of Syracuse had a problem.
He had given a goldsmith a lump of pure gold to make a beautiful crown, but when he received it, he wasn’t sure if it was really made of solid gold. He suspected the goldsmith had secretly mixed in some cheaper silver and kept some of the gold for himself. But how could he prove it without melting the crown?
The king called upon Archimedes, a brilliant scientist and mathematician, to solve the mystery. Archimedes thought hard but couldn’t figure out how to test the crown without damaging it.
Then, one day, while stepping into his bath, he noticed something curious—the water level rose as he got in. Suddenly, an idea struck him! The amount of water that overflowed must be equal to the volume of his body that had been submerged. This meant he could measure the volume of the king’s crown just by seeing how much water it displaced!
Excited by his discovery, Archimedes leapt out of the bath and ran through the streets shouting, "Eureka! Eureka!" (which means “I have found it!” in Greek).
He tested the crown by placing it in water and comparing its displacement to a lump of pure gold of the same weight. To the king’s horror, the crown displaced more water than the gold, meaning it had a larger volume but the same weight—proving it was mixed with a less dense metal, like silver!
The goldsmith had been caught! Thanks to Archimedes’ clever thinking, the king knew he had been cheated.
This story led to Archimedes' Principle, which explains how objects float and sink based on the weight of the fluid they displace. It’s the same reason why a big cruise ship floats, even though it’s made of heavy metal!
Why did King Hiero II suspect the goldsmith had cheated him?
The crown was too heavy
The crown looked silver in color
The crown was smaller than expected
The goldsmith might have mixed in cheaper silver
What problem did Archimedes need to solve?
How to make the crown shinier
How to test if the crown was pure gold without melting it
How to catch the goldsmith stealing money
How to make the crown heavier
What made Archimedes realize how to solve the problem?
He saw the goldsmith swapping gold for silver
He measured the crown with a ruler
He noticed that water rose when he stepped into his bath
He compared the weight of gold and silver
What does the word "Eureka!" mean?
“I have found it!”
“Gold is heavy!”
“The king is right!”
“Stop the thief!”
How did Archimedes test the crown?
He melted it down
He weighed it using a scale
He placed it in water and measured how much water it displaced
He broke the crown apart and examined it
What did Archimedes' test reveal about the crown?
It was lighter than gold
It displaced more water than pure gold of the same weight
It sank immediately, proving it was pure gold
It turned black when placed in water
Why did the crown displace more water than pure gold of the same weight?
It was hollow inside
It contained a less dense metal like silver
It was heavier than gold
It had a different shape
What scientific principle did Archimedes discover from this experiment?
The Law of Gravity
The Principle of Buoyancy
The Theory of Relativity
The Laws of Motion
How is Archimedes’ discovery used in modern science?
It helps scientists measure the volume of irregular objects
It is used to determine the color of metals
It explains why objects expand when heated
It helps goldsmiths create perfect crowns
Why do large ships made of metal float on water, even though metal is heavy?
The metal is hollow inside, so it is lighter
The weight of the ship is less than the water it displaces
The ship is covered in a special floating material