What occurs to an object with a specific gravity of less than one when placed in water?

An object with a specific gravity of less than one will float when placed in water. Specific gravity is a measure comparing the density of an object to that of water. When the specific gravity is less than one, it indicates that the object is less dense than water. This results in the object experiencing a buoyant force that is greater than the gravitational force acting on it, causing it to float on the surface of the water.

Floating occurs because of the principle of buoyancy, which states that an object submerged in a fluid will experience an upward force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. As a result, if an object's density is lower than the fluid's density, it will float rather than sink.

In contrast, options such as sinking, dissolving, or changing state do not apply here. If an object sinks, it would indicate that its specific gravity is greater than one. Dissolving pertains to an object's chemical interaction with water, which is unrelated to density. Changing state refers to physical transformations (like solids to liquids) that do not directly connect with the concept of specific gravity and buoyancy. Hence, the answer focuses solely on the behavior of the object in water based on its specific gravity.