ship

[palaniyapan]

How can ship float in the ocean when it is made of metal.Metal sinks in water right?

[jake-the-peg]

The material surrounding a hot air baloon is heavier than air buy the hot air baloon still flies - it works the same way

[rja211077]

the simple rule is that if a body is lighter than the water it displaces, then it will float. so yes a block of metal will sink, but the same mass of metal "hollowed out" so that it contains lots of air, like a boat, won't.

i'm sure there's a better way of explaining it but i can't be arsed

[5029]

The hollow shape means that the average weight of the ship (including the hull and the air inside it) is less than that of water

[newtron]

ask archimedes

[stevie21]

As mentioned a solid spherical chunk of metal weighing 1kg will only displace a very small amount (i.e. weight) of water if you dip it in water as it will be very small.

This same metal, when flattened out so that it is quite thin and boat shaped will be able to displace exactly 1kg of water once *only partly submerged* as this 1kg will be hollow and take up loads more room than the sphere.

This boat will float if it can displace 1kg or more of water : that's about the long and short of it.