A cube having a side of 10 cm with unknown mass and 200 gm mass were hung at two ends of an uniform rigid…
(Take the density of unknown mass is more than that of the water, the mass did not absorb water and water density is $1 \mathrm{gm} / \mathrm{cm}^3$.) The unknown mass is ________ kg.
Solution

Given, volume of block $=\left(10 \times 10^{-2}\right)^3=10^{-3} \mathrm{~m}^3$
Let density of block $=\rho \mathrm{kg} / \mathrm{m}^3$
mass of block $=\rho \times 10^{-3} \mathrm{~kg}$
Buoyant Force $\left(\mathrm{F}_{\mathrm{B}}\right)=1000 \times \frac{10^{-3}}{2} \times 10=5 \mathrm{~N}$
F.B.D. of blocks

Balancing torque about point O , we get
$\begin{aligned}
& \operatorname{mg}\left(2 \times 10^{-2}\right)-\mathrm{F}_{\mathrm{B}}\left(2 \times 10^{-2}\right)=0.2 \mathrm{~g}\left(25 \times 10^{-2}\right) \\ & \rho \times 10^{-3} \times 10 \times 2-10=50 \\ & \rho=3000 \mathrm{~kg} / \mathrm{m}^3
\end{aligned}$
Hence, mass of block $=\rho \times 10^{-3}$
$=3000 \times 10^{-3}=3 \mathrm{~kg}$
Asked in: JEE Main 2025 (08 Apr Shift 2)