MoCA Science Practice Test 2025 – The All-in-One Guide to Mastering Your Exam!

The water level increased when Terry put a marble in the graduated cylinder because the marble displaced an equal volume of water. This situation is a classic demonstration of the principle of displacement, which states that when an object is submerged in a fluid, it pushes the fluid out of the way, resulting in an increase in the fluid's volume. The amount of water displaced is equivalent to the volume of the marble submerged in it. Consequently, the water level rises as a direct result of this displacement.

This principle is fundamental in understanding fluid mechanics and is based on Archimedes' principle, which applies to all objects submerged in a fluid, regardless of whether they float or sink. The other choices do not accurately describe why the water level increased. For instance, the marble's weight relative to water or the graduated cylinder's structural properties do not affect the actual displacement of water caused by introducing the marble, nor does the marble dissolve in the water.