Fluid Properties and Hydrostatics (4B) Practice Test

A materials group tests a porous scaffold by placing it in a sealed chamber filled with water ($\rho=1000\ \text{kg/m}^3$). The chamber pressure is increased uniformly by $50\ \text{kPa}$ using a piston at the top, while the scaffold remains at the same depth. Neglect compression and flow; take $g=9.8\ \text{m/s}^2$. Based on Pascal’s principle, which outcome is most likely for the pressure at the scaffold surface immediately after the pressure increase?

A buoyancy-based assay uses two solid spheres of equal volume ($V=5.0\times10^{-5}\ \text{m}^3$) fully submerged in a tank of glycerol-water mixture ($\rho=1200\ \text{kg/m}^3$). Sphere 1 has mass $0.040\ \text{kg}$; Sphere 2 has mass $0.070\ \text{kg}$. Take $g=9.8\ \text{m/s}^2$. Based on Archimedes’ principle, which statement best describes the net forces immediately after release (neglect drag)?