http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/BB61_USS_Iowa_BB61_broadside_USN.jpg
The batleship is made mostly of steel.
2007-07-09 08:12:32 · 10 answers · asked by Alexander 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Del Piero 10:
What ballast would you propose:
gold or platinum?
2007-07-09 08:17:59 · update #1
Easily but it would probably capsize without considerably more ballast.
2007-07-09 08:16:28 · answer #1 · answered by Del Piero 10 7 · 8⤊ 1⤋
If it floats on water it'll certainly float on mercury and, your question on ballast makes sense in as much that, on mercury, the ship will float with a draft about 13.6 times higher than on water. Gold being slightly heavier than Platinum and lighter than Mercury would be the best as a ballast and gold with about half the displacement of the ship should do it.
(A very hypothetical question with a very hypothetical answer).
2007-07-09 09:29:40 · answer #2 · answered by Norrie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since a battleship floats in water, it will most certainly float in mercury, which is much more dense.
13.534 g·cm^−3 is the density of mercury
7.86 g·cm^−3 is the density of iron
Even if you melt the battleship down into a ball, it will still float in mercury.
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2007-07-09 08:18:23 · answer #3 · answered by Frank N 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Oh, without a doubt. Mercury is denser than water. A battleship is less dense than water. Therefore, by the transitive property, a battleship will float in mercury.
2007-07-09 08:15:01 · answer #4 · answered by Brian L 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Battleships float in water, so they will certainly float in mercury.
2007-07-09 08:15:15 · answer #5 · answered by ZikZak 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when you take into account that within a ship, there is alot of air, the "average" density of the battleship is less dense than that of water, i.e. water's density is about 1,000 kg/m cubed. where mercury's density is about 13,630 kg/m cubed.
2007-07-09 14:51:03 · answer #6 · answered by ftm821 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It floats in water doesn't it? Mercury is NUMEROUS times more dense, so of course it will float in mercury.
2007-07-09 08:18:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, it floats on water, mercury has density 13.6 times that of water.
2007-07-09 08:16:05 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would certainly be buoyant enough. It might have some dynamic stability problems, but that's another question.
2007-07-09 08:16:39 · answer #9 · answered by B B 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not if its metacentric height were too great.
2007-07-09 09:03:33 · answer #10 · answered by Mick 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋