How do things sink or float in water?

Answer 1

If you use ice and two compounds, where the ice floats in compound A and sinks in compound B. The ice floats in compound A because the compound has a greater density than the ice' and sinks in compound B because the compound has a lesser density than the ice.

Answer 2

A very interesting phenomenon.

When a body is put on the surface of water, first its bottom surface gets a little bit immersed. So an amount of water vacates from its place to give room for that small portion of the body to occupy the same.

If the weight of that displaced water is very less compared to that of the body, then a larger portion can go into the water and more volume get displaced.

Yet, the displaced water weighs less than the body, the body can immerse further.

This process goes on. Now three cases.

First case: Even the whole body get immersed inside water, the weight of the displaced water cannot exceed the body's weight, then sinking occurs. The body goes to the bottom of the container.

Second case: If on the way, if the displaced water has equal weight of the body, then the body starts floating on the surface with certain portion immersed and remaining still in the air.

Third case: At the time the whole body get immersed, if the weight of the displaced water becomes equal to that of the immersed body, then body floats within water.

So density criteria does not finalize the fate of sinking or floating. Only the comparison of weights of displaced liquid and the body would give the right conclusion.

That is why, steel ship, even it has larger density than sea water, never sinks as the design of the ship is in such a way that the weight of the displaced liquid is very much greater than the weight of the ship itself.

Answer 3

Find a solid (over the temperatures required) substance with a specific gravity slightly greater than 1.0, also with a coefficient of thermal expansion large enough to cause the sinking object to expand (and thus acquire a specific gravity of <1.0 at the given temeprature) when heated. Obviously the temperature at which the object acquires a specific gravity of <1.0 must be less than the boiling point of the water providing the bouyancy.

Answer 4

Some objects float on water because these objects are lights and some objects sink in water because these objects is heavy

Answer 5

all objects float or sink in any liquids depending upon the specific gravity of object versus liquid. if the object has higher specific gravity,it will sink &otherway.

Answer 6

It has to do with how dense things are. If it is equal to or less dense than water, it will float. If it is greater, it will sink.