Why do ships float?

Why do ships float?




 Why do ships float?


  I always wondered. How do so huge ships float on water? But don't worry, I have the answer to it...

  To answer this question, we need to understand Archimedes' principle (Yeah, the Eureka one). Archimedes' principle states that an object partly or fully immersed in a liquid, experiences an upward force called buoyant force which is equal to the weight of the liquid displaced by it.

  It might seem too complicated. But it simply states that when an object is immersed in water, partly or fully, it throws some water outside. Just like dropping a stone in a glass filled with water upto the brim will displace some water outside the glass. So, according to Archimedes' principle, the amount of water displaced is equal to the upward, buoyant force acting on the object.

  Now, a ship has a long and wide base due to which the amount and the weight of water displaced by it increases. Now according to Archimedes' principle, the buoyant force is equal to the weight of displaced liquid. Hence, as the weight of displaced water increases, the buoyant force that is the upward force exerted by the water increases, making the ship float.

  Thus, ships float. That is also the reason behind ships' large and wide base. A thin based ship would not float.
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