When we were kids, we must have played by the pool and thrown stones into the water for fun. When the stone sinks, we wonder, why did that happen? We might think, hmm, maybe because the rock is heavy. But then we see ships that are much bigger and much heavier and they can stay afloat and not sink. Then, we are curious, how can a ship float?
How Can a Ship Float? The Buoyancy!
The answer is not only because of weight but because of a kind of force called lift and the density of the object itself. This one force was discovered by this genius who said that if an object is immersed in water, either partially or completely. It will experience an upward force equal to the weight of the water it displaces.
So we know that to float, the density of the ship must be less than that of water. That’s why the ship has a secret recipe which is a section that contains air cavities. This part of the hull makes the ship balanced and floats in the ocean, no matter how big and how heavy the ship is made. It also explains why the Titanic sank. Namely because the hull of the ship leaked after crashing into an iceberg. And eventually filled with water so the ship sank to the bottom of the ocean.
Now We Know The Secret Recipe
Now with this secret recipe, we can finally build giant ships like a luxury yacht which is 5 times heavier than the Titanic, or the largest tanker, which is four and a half times the length of the soccer stadium field and weighs the same as a hundred thousand African elephants. Or like an aircraft carrier that became an airport in the middle of the ocean for warplanes. The same way is also treated in submarines where it has a cavity that can be filled with water if you want to dive, and filled with air if you want to float to the surface.
So, we already know why such a huge ship can sail in the vast ocean. And from now on, you can also request the meatball seller man to make air space in the meatball so that it floats in the bow, so it is easier to eat.
