Why do boats float?

Question

This is to answer my 7-year-old daughter's question.

Answer 1

It displaces more water than what it weighs. A gallon of water weighs 8 pounds. Take a gallon jug and put 1/2 gallon of water in it then when you put it in the water, it will float because the weight of the jug plus the water is less than the weight of the water it displaces.

Answer 2

In fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place, so that it can be weighed.

An object that sinks also displaces an amount of fluid equal to the object's volume. Thus buoyancy is expressed by Archimedes' Principle which states that when this happens, the weight of the object is reduced by its volume times the density of the fluid. If the weight of the object is less than this quantity, it will float, if more it will sink. The amount of fluid displaced is directly related (via Archimedes' Principle) to its weight.

Answer 3

It's called displacement. Archimedes sat in his bath tub one day and had his "Eureka" moment. He figured out that if the weight of the boat was less than the amount of water it displaces in the water, it will float. That's why steel boats float. The boat moves (displaces) more water than the weight of the boat.

Answer 4

its because of boyance(dont know if its spelled right) it has something to do with the water and the boat and how everything goes together, yahoo search boyance and see what the correct definition is

Answer 5

Thanks for the 2 points...

Below is a Google page in answer to your question. In particular, the page I received when I typed your question into the search window.

Otherwise, go with answer #1.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=Why+do+boats+float%3F&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Answer 6

yep what he said