I was thinking there's probably an effect similar and opposite to the effect of a hot air balloon rising until it is the same density as the air... In a really deep bit of ocean a ship might just end up floating about - whaddaya think? Probably deeper than anything we've got, hey?
2006-10-01 22:45:28 · 12 answers · asked by Alyosha 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
at sea level. This happens to all ships floating.
2006-10-01 23:26:53 · answer #1 · answered by Holden 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Uh... Yes, there is an effect similar keeping the effect keeping hot air balloon in the air. That's buoyancy, and it keeps the ship from sinking in the first place... Ever heard of Archimedes' principle? Hot air balloon keeps on rising (and stops rising) depending on the density of the air inside it (if it's heated, it will be less dense than the air outside and it will rise and so on... I guess you know this? It's not about the fabric of the balloon becoming denser or anything... Just like the ship floats because of the air inside it. And it sinks if the air is taken away, ie. ship leaks).
As the previous answerers have already pointed out, a normal ship made out of steel is always denser than the water. After all, water as a liquid does not become significantly more dense when the pressure is increased (and neither is steel by the way). This is different with gases, but that's not what we're talking about here, is it? Pressure does not "act against gravity" in any case...
2006-10-02 06:36:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It wouldn't.
Pictures from the depths don't show heavy objects floating around. The behaviour of objects made of the almost incompressible steel and water would behave almost the same with respect to gravity as near the surface.
If your ship had some air in it then as it sank the air would compress and the ship sink faster. Your comparison with the balloon is interesting. But, the atmosphere gets less dense as you go up and also the pressure decreases but with the sea although the density doesn't increase much with depth the pressure increases a lot, 1 atmosphere for about ever 10m.
Nice question.
2006-10-02 06:34:47 · answer #3 · answered by John 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ocean would have to go to the middle of the earth, a sinking ship would come eventually to rest at the centre of the earth, but this is supposed because the gravity would be near zero.
I could not imagine the pressure of the water becoming so high, it becomes more dense than steel, one can only guess what happens at extreme pressure, but I would think it would remain in a liquid state and the steel would continue to be more dense.
2006-10-02 07:55:25 · answer #4 · answered by treb67 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No - the further the ship sinks, the greater the weigth of water from above, so the greater the gravity - gravity increases exponentially as you go under water, so instead the ship gets crushed, making it more dense.
The only time a ship will float is, erm, when it floats, as its total density is less than that of water at the surface. A submarine can "float" under water, but again this is due to air and balast.
2006-10-02 05:56:14 · answer #5 · answered by Mudkips 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can not compress water, so your 'ship' would sink to the bottom because the metal is already condensed far higher than the water, unless it contains air, which will give it lift i.e. 'Buoyancy'
2006-10-02 07:43:49 · answer #6 · answered by wheeliebin 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
mmmm.... probably not, but you are getting some ware. it wouldn't happen because as deeper you go the pressure mounts, increasing the density of the metal as well and naturally metal is heavier than water at known pressure levels!
2006-10-02 06:00:33 · answer #7 · answered by nalaka 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If the pressure was acting on the water it would also be acting on the ship. So it wouldn't make any difference.
2006-10-02 05:55:47 · answer #8 · answered by David T 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There would be no depth at which that would happen.
Gravity acts in one direction, and water pressure act in all directions, therefore the net direction is down.
2006-10-02 07:01:38 · answer #9 · answered by exbullelephant 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on what kind of ship and what the materials used were...duh
2006-10-02 05:47:34 · answer #10 · answered by crudhouse 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋