How are boats that are incredibly heavy able to float on water and sail across ocean? I mean, the cruise ships these days are MASSIVE!! 🛳️
In: 0
The average density of something determines if it will float or not. Ships have a lower average density than water despite their size, because all the air in the ship is included in that density, and the air is FAR less dense than the water; gravity pulls on the air and the ship both, but on average what it’s pulling is less than the density of the water below it. It’s mass vs mass, and the air-filled ship has less than the water.
When you have an object of equal mass that does not contain any air in it, then only its own mass will act against the mass of the water below it, and it will sink. You can see this if you swim in a pool; let all the air out of your lungs, and you’ll sink like a stone. Take a really, really deep breath and your torso, at least, will float easily (your legs might still sink, but that’s a whole other thing).
Latest Answers