Melanie Says That When a Diver Enters an Underwater Cave

Melanie says that when a diver enters an underwater cave of height h, the pressure on her is no greater than ρ_Wgh. Rosalind says that if the bottom of the cave is a distance H below the water surface, the pressure on the soles of the diver's feet can reach ρ_WgH. Which one, if either, is correct? (The density of water is ρ_W.)

A) Melanie, because the roof of the cave absorbs the water pressure from above.
B) Melanie, because only the fluid directly above any volume of the fluid can contribute to the pressure on that volume.
C) Rosalind, because a fluid exerts equal pressure in all directions at a given depth.
D) Rosalind, because the pressure also depends on the density, ρ_c, of the material above the cave roof, so that p = ρ_cg(H − h) + ρ_Wgh.
E) Melanie, because the pressure equals p = ρ_WgH − ρ_cg(H − h) .

Correct Answer:

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