ESTEEMStream.News

ESTEEM Center for Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, English & Math

ESTEEMStream.News

ESTEEMStream.News

How do Boats Float?

A+white+boat+is+moving+across+the+blue+sea

How can a boat, which is many times larger than yourself, float instead of sink on water? The answer is science, and I will share the specifics.

Buoyancy is the force that causes some objects to float on water. Density is the amount of matter in a given volume. Water has a density of 1, so anything with a density greater than 1 will sink, and anything less dense than water will float. This means that a boat has less density than water.

Also, there’s something called upthrust. Upthrust is a net force that supports the boat from underneath the water. The boat sinks, but is supported up by upthrust.

Here are some links for more information: https://www.explainthatstuff.com/how-ships-work.html https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-boats-float

This relates to engineering because engineers would have to design a boat that will float on water. They will have to think of density and buoyancy, as well as what materials to use.

More to Discover
About the Contributor
Activate Search
ESTEEM Center for Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, English & Math
How do Boats Float?