Ship in a Canal
A 200-ton ship enters the lock of a canal. The fit between the sides of the lock and the ship is tight so that the weight of the water left in the lock after it closes is much less than 200 tons. Can the ship still float if the quantity of water left in the lock is much less than the ship's weight?
A 200-ton ship enters the lock of a canal. The fit between the sides of the lock and the ship is tight so that the weight of the water left in the lock after it closes is much less than 200 tons. Can the ship still float if the quantity of water left in the lock is much less than the ship's weight?
A) Yes, as long as the water gets up to the ship's waterline.
A) Yes, as long as the water gets up to the ship's waterline.
B) No, the ship touches bottom because it weighs more than the water in the lock
B) No, the ship touches bottom because it weighs more than the water in the lock
C) It depends or I can't tell.
C) It depends or I can't tell.
Solution: A. What matters is not the weight of the water left in the lock, but the weight of the water forced out of the lock by the ship. As long as the density of the ship is less than that of water and the water gets to the waterline, it floats.
Solution: A. What matters is not the weight of the water left in the lock, but the weight of the water forced out of the lock by the ship. As long as the density of the ship is less than that of water and the water gets to the waterline, it floats.