How does a ship floats on water whereas a small nail sinks though it weighs very low than a ship?

The average density of the boat is less than water. The average density of a nail is greater than water.How does a ship floats on water whereas a small nail sinks though it weighs very low than a ship?
While taking into account the float or sink of an object in water, we need to consider only its density and not its mass.





density = mass/volume





unit of density = kg/m^3 or gm/cm^3





so, as both mass and volume of a ship are huge, they cancel out to give a small amount of density.





but, in the case of nail, the mass is greater in magnitude than that of its volume and this results to give a much larger density.





An object sinks in water, if its density is greater than the density of water.





another important thing is that the bottom of the ship is hollow where air can be trapped.





density of air is lesser than water and hence it escapes out .





so, the air at the bottom of the ship also adds to the floating capacity of the ship.How does a ship floats on water whereas a small nail sinks though it weighs very low than a ship?
The volume of water displaced by the sunken part of ship occupy more weight than the weight of the ship.Thats why ship do not sink.


While volume of water displaced by nail occupy less weight then nail.


This is because of Archimedes principle, which says that every body will floet on the fluid having less density then the fluid.
This is all because of archimedes principle


when we put something in water it displaces some water


now if the volume of water displaced or we can sat weight of water displaced is less than that thing then that thing will sink


but if the displaced water volume is more than that thing that thing will float


So a small nail sinks but a huge ship sails


To understand it better,


you must do a practicle at home


you just take a bucket of water and put a square paper piece in water , you will see it is sailing


but now put the same paper in water again but this time fold it as many times as you can


it will sink now


I thing now you are cleared about ur question
When you look at the composition of the ship(light paper) and nail (heavy metal), you see that the nail has a much higher density which is greater then 1, the density of water, and therefore it will sink.


Also, the ship has more surface area to distribute the forces out with unlike the small compact nail.
But the nail is more dense than the ship. An object will float is it is less dense than water, and sink if it is more dense.





Density is not the same as weight. It's weight per unit of volume. Nails are made of iron which are very dense. If you had a cubic metre of ship, it would weigh less than a cubic metre of water, therefore it will float. But if you had a cubic metre of iron it would weigh more than the cubic metre of water and therefore it will sink.
the density of boats is less than water due to their hollow shape but a nails density is almost double than water
because of the density of the sea.
Just study your book properly then you don't this kind of question

blackheads