Mason notices that his boat sinks lower into the water in a freshwater lake than in the ocean. What could explain this?

A floating boat must displace enough water to balance its weight. Salt water is denser than freshwater, so the boat displaces less of it to stay afloat and rides higher in the ocean. In freshwater, it must sink lower to displace enough water, so choice C, “Salt water is more dense than freshwater,” explains what Mason observes.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.