2007-03-22 15:08:13 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Botany
Things float because the weight of the water they displace is equal (or slightly greater than) the weight of the thing (ship). RMS Titanic displaced about 46,000 tons of water, which meant she had to weigh about 46,000 tons.
2007-03-22 15:13:24 · answer #1 · answered by qin137 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Timothy - Archemede's Principle: When an object is placed in a fluid it is bouyed upward by a force equal to the weight of the displaced fluid.
Yeah, iron, steel...even concrete have all been used to build boats. They (the materials) are all heavier than water. The boats float because they enclose a great volume of air, etc., which is much lighter than water. The hull shoves out (displaces) a lot of water!
HOWEVER, don't let that water in through the bottom or from over the top: A boat full of water will NOT float unless it is made from a very light material (think of a boat with a styrofoam hull.)
2007-03-22 15:23:26 · answer #2 · answered by Richard S 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The same thing that makes aircraft carriers and canoes float, water displacement.
2007-03-22 15:18:52 · answer #3 · answered by finra 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋