After finding that objects of the same mass do not always float or submerge the same way in a tub of liquid, alexis wrote a new hypothesis to test objects that have the same mass.

if the surface area of an object increases, then it will float higher in the tub, because the object would need to displace more liquid in order to sink all the way down.

what is the dependent variable in this hypothesis?

the mass of the object
the surface area of the object
the amount of water displaced
the height at which the object floats