Will somebody good in science please answer this?

Question

Today I bought a quart of paint. I put it on a table and it fell off...onto the linoleum floor. The lid came off and it spilled onto the floor and some in the plastic bag.

OK...I scooped up almost all of what was on the floor. There wasn't much in the bag..some but not enough to scoop out. When I put back what had spilled..it was only HALF full. HOW CAN THIS BE???????? Is this possible??

I know that when you dig a hole in the ground..the dirt you put back doesn't fill it up to the top. Could the same thing happen with paint? I don't see how.!

Answer 1

I'd imagine that what you weren't able to scoop up takes up more volume than you'd expect... also maybe the original can had a little air or was vacuum sealed or something and the original volume of paint wasn't a full can.

Answer 2

It depends on the surface area that the paint spilled on.... Its like painting a wall... there is a fine layer of paint, yet the can becomes empty very fast.... being a linoleum floor, there isnt anywhere for the paint to soak through. My guess is that you have a butt load of paint on ur floor!!!!

Answer 3

They don't fill paint cans to the brim with paint. They have to give it room to oxygenate. Also they include room for the paint to mix if it sits for a while....just shake it back up to blend it back together. There is a chance that you lost a bit on the floor, but a quart isn't much. Usually you get a bigger container with the set amount of paint.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

deenie.. id say the can wasnt full, maybe thats why it got spilled, to show you , you had been ripped off.....you know how them things happen....

Answer 5

because not all of it gets back in

Answer 6

some of the paint may have evaporated. my dad paints a lot and he says not to leave paint cans open for longer than 5-10 minutes or you will notice there is less left in it.

Answer 7

Either you have a leak in your floor, or the paint can wasn't full to begin with.

Answer 8

Much of the paint stayed on the top of the can as well. so if you let it set for awhile, then it would fill up quite a bit more.

The density of the paint on t he floor is also mis leading, it is thicker than you would think, that spill could cover a lot of wall surface.

Answer 9

dirty too

Answer 10

that always happens.

when you spill, and scoop it up, you don't get anywhere near all of it.

most forms a film so thin that you just cannot scoop it.

most floors have small high and low spots you just can't pick up liquids from.

to some degree it makes a difference what kind of floor.

linoleum would probably clean best.

wood not so good -- it's more porous.

rug --- you're dead.

Answer 11

Some probably seeped into your floor.

And that kinda stuff usually happens.

Hope i could help.