i c0nfuse betweEn this two answer regardin' why an ir0n nail sinks but an ir0n ship fl0ats.....?

Question

a.ir0n nail displaces small v0lume of water
b.the shape of the ship allow it to have al0t of air space.

Answer 1

Robert's analysis is correct ... but his final answer sounds a lot like b, which is incorrect.

It's about displacement of water, not air.

The nail weighs more than the amount of water it displaces. So it sinks.

The ship weighs less than the amount of water it displaces. So it floats.

Answer 2

a) The nail sinks because it's heavier than the water it displaces.

b) The ship floats because it's lighter than the water it displaces.

The ship contains a lot of air-space, so on average it's lighter.