While submerged, submarines can travel faster than when they are on the surface. As water is more viscous and dense than air, causing more friction, how can it travel faster while travelling through a denser medium.
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When the hull pierces the surface, water that flows up, around the hull then down again causes significant turbulence when in returns to the sea surface Turbulence causes drag.
When the submarine is submerged water flows smoothly around the hull. So even though more hull meets the water flow, the lack of turbulence produces comparatively less drag.
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