2007-02-25 07:11:12 · 11 answers · asked by 007 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
because the organs start decomposing into a gas, and the gas fills your body like a ball on, so a body that is dead floats.
2007-02-25 07:13:28 · answer #1 · answered by m m 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Have you heard of the "dead mans float", it's a survival technique in which you just float around like a dead body and only push up your head when you need a breath. A dead body doesn't so much float more easily, it's just not important/possible anymore to try to keep the mouth and nose above the water.
If you mean a dead body older then a day or so, gases build up in the digestive system making the body a bit like a balloon.
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2007-02-25 15:18:33 · answer #2 · answered by U Betcha 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
VERY SIMPLY PUT, a body has bacteria in the stomach that produces gas (methane, hydrogen, etc.). Whereas a live body can "pass" these gasses out of their system, a dead one cannot. As a result of this gas buildup (which usually takes a couple of days), the dead body can float more easily than a living one.
2007-02-25 15:19:28 · answer #3 · answered by fenway2k 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dead bodies float because during decomposition gas builds up in the tissues. Actually, it takes a day or two, depending on temperature and such, for a body to float.
For the living, how well you float depends on your body fat. Fat, floats, muscle and bone sink.
2007-02-25 15:17:18 · answer #4 · answered by Sank63 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
After an organism dies, it begins to decompose. The bacteria inside the body produce gases which bloat the body, making it a biological floaty toy. This process takes a small amount of time though. That is why drowning victims come to the surface about two days after death.
2007-02-25 15:21:09 · answer #5 · answered by ablis boy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
a dead body doesn't float right away...the reason it floats is because of the buildup of gases (caused by decay) in the body.
2007-02-25 15:14:16 · answer #6 · answered by naughtykitty94 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It must be the gases formed in the decomposition process. Gases are lighter than water, making the body buoyant.
2007-02-25 15:13:54 · answer #7 · answered by ThatLady 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bodies decompose very quickly internally, and the bacteria produce lots of gas, which cannot be "removed" in the normal way.
2007-02-25 15:13:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
because of the gases produced because it is rotten
it has a lot of air inside
2007-02-25 15:19:29 · answer #9 · answered by Aniken 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the dead guy is completely relaxed?
2007-02-25 15:13:33 · answer #10 · answered by Tom B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋