Why does solid steel sink but a steel boat float?

Answer 1

An object will float in water if its density is less than the density of water. Solid steel is more dense than water so it sinks.
A steel boat is hollow and filled with air. Its average density is less than a solid piece of steel. If this average density is less than water the boat will float. Of course if the boat becomes swamped (filled with water) then the average density increases and the boat sinks.

Answer 2

solid steel comprises a compact object which does not contain any air spaces which can make the solid float.this packed situation causes the the weight of the object is focussed at only one part of the object. thus, the weight is able to make the object sinks. unlike the steel boat, the weight of the boat is focussed at many parts of the boat. this can reduce the the weight(gravitational forces) tha act at a certain point and thus, making the boat to float, by depending on the other parts of the boat.

this concept is similar to the application used in a submarine.
when the ballast tank of the submarine is filled with water, the submarine sinks due to the absence of air spaces to overcome the weight or gravitational force. in a nutshell, when the ballast tank is empty, the submarine floats due to the presence of air spaces.

Answer 3

A steel boat floats because of its shape. The part below the water is curved and sealed to keep water out. It can float because of the air inside. If water gets inside, replacing the air, it sinks.

Answer 4

Because the boat biulder instills a sense of lightness within each sheet of steel used to make the boat, he or she wants it to float, and by will power alone the steel responds to the positive energy and love of the boat biulder, and floats upon the water. It would never allow people within it to fall into the water, because it loves them, as the boat builder loved it when it was being built.

Some people will waffle on about the weight of the boat and displacement of water; ignore them.

Answer 5

First a solid is always a solid, weather in a small piece or in the form of sheet. When a compact piece of steel (say a cube of 1cc ; (10 mm X 10mm X 10 mm) is placed on water, the buoyant force of water will act only on the lower surface i.e., 1 sq.cm.
Now you flatten the piece so that it is a sheet of 1 mm thickness , (1 mm X 10 mm X 100mm). Now you put it on the water surface. The buoyant force now will increase by 10 folds as the surface area of the same mass has increased by 10 times. So now the same mass will remain lifted, which otherwise will sink when in compact form. the similar is true for aboat which is made of flattened steel. Thats why it will not sink.

Answer 6

actually,the floatation of a steel boats applies a physics concept called density.density is mass per volume.when density of boat is lower (high volume) than water it will float. a cube steel sink because it has higher density than water.This means that it has low volume.This explains why boats are wider that is to increase volume so that it has lower density than water.

Answer 7

Archimedes Principle - an object immersed in a liquid is buoyed upward by a force equal to that of the liquid it displaces. The boat displaces more than it weighs so it floats

Answer 8

Due to the air/bouyancy inside the hull. The air inside stops it from sinking.

If it filled with water, it would become 'air-less' and lose it's bouyancy.

Answer 9

it is becaus eof archimedes principle. the total pressure applied by the ship is less then the pressure applied by the solid dteel.