Eli5: How do they effectively test scale models of giant ships in water? Doesn’t the water behave differently in the small vs large scale?

Question

Eli5: How do they effectively test scale models of giant ships in water? Doesn’t the water behave differently in the small vs large scale?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Yes, there are limits, you can’t test many features in a one-foot model, because the viscosity of water has a length dimension.

The solution is to test in very large tanks, like the [Carderock Test Tank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Taylor_Model_Basin ). The closer your scale is to reality, the smaller these side effects.