Why wood floats on water ?

Answer 1

When an object is submerged into water, it displaces some of the water. If the weight of the water displaced is more than the weight of the object, it floats. The weight of wood is much less than the weight of the water it displaces, so wood floats on water.

Answer 2

Wood floats in water because it is less dense (lighter) than water. That is, a unit volume of wood has less mass (and weight) than the same unit volume of water. Basically, objects sink into the water until they displace (take the place of) a volume of water equal to their own weight. If the entire object displaces a volume of water which weighs less than the object (a stone or a lead weight, for example) the object will sink.
Wood is made of dead plant cells and contains many open spaces. This is why it is so relatively light when it is dry. Fresh (wet) wood will float but not as high as the same wood would if dry. This is because the spaces in the wood are filled with water and the wood is heavier (more dense).

Even so, the material of which the cells are made is still lighter than water and so wood floats even when wet. Sometimes wood becomes so saturated with water (even the exceedingly small spaces in the cell walls themselves are filled with water) that it sinks.

Different types of wood will have different proportions of the various cell types which make up the wood and different proportions of the various substances which make up the cell walls of the wood cells (cellulose and lignin). This probably accounts for the different floating properties of various kinds of
wood.

Answer 3

I have to tell you my friend that only dry wood floats in water and not wood. One reason is due to the density of wood being less denser than water.Second reason is because when a wood is dried all the water content is dried up. Therefore air replaces this water and any object with air when immersed in water floats.

Answer 4

Wood floats implies the net force acting on it is zero.

Though the gravity pulls it down the water gives an upthrust which is equal to its weight.

When a stone is dropped it falls down. But when it is placed on a table it is at rest. The stone's down ward force is balanced by the upward thrust of the table.

When it is placed on the surface of water, the water does not provide the necessary upthrust and hence it goes down.

In the case of wood the water provides sufficient upthrust and hence it floats.

If the density of the material is less than the density of water then the object will float.

Water floats on water because both have the same density.

Answer 5

According to the Law of Floatation, the weight of a floating body should be equal to the weight of the liquid it displaces in order for it to float. Also, an object floats whenever its density is lower than that of the liquid in which it is immersed. Wood displaces an equal weight of the water as its immersed portion by virtue of its lower density (0.8 g/cc) than water (1 g/cc). Thus, it floats on water.

Answer 6

the density of the wood is less than the denmsity of water so iyt floats this means that the upthrust by the water on the wood is greater than the weigt of the wood

Answer 7

wood floats on water because the density [weight] of water is more
than wood and this is called a strange behaviour or anomalous expansion of water in this case water expands up to 4 degree.c
and contracts after 4degree.c.

Answer 8

Its down to density. Density and wheight. Some wood will sink as it is denser than water. ships float ad they arent as dense as water.

Densuty is the wheight of an object over its size. A large heavy ship 300,000 tons will float as its density is low. A small coin will sink.

Answer 9

Wood Floats on Water..
>First reason Density.(Density is mass per unit area.)Wood floats as its density is very lesser than water.
Also floating of any object or sinking of any object depends on these three laws..
Laws

Archimedes' Principle
When a body is immersed in a fluid, the upthrust is equal to the weight of fluid displaced.

Law of Flotation
The weight of a floating body is equal to the weight of the liquid it displaces.

Mainly the Law of floatation.


To simplify the above..

Density = mass/volume

Pressure = force/area

Archimedes: upthrust (apparent loss of weight) = weight of fluid displaced.

Answer 10

Wood has air trapped inside its structure, so it floats. With most wood, if it stays in water long enough, it will eventually absorb enough to become waterlogged and sink.