Rachel is making cookies. She pours 1/2 cup of oil into a bowl, followed by 1 cup of water. The oil rises to the surface of the bowl. Why?

Oil rises because it is less dense than water. A less-dense liquid floats on a denser liquid, so the oil stays on top even though Rachel poured less oil than water. This means the correct choice is “The oil is less dense.”

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.