FLOTATION OR SINKING?

 Why does a long boat float on the water but a small stone sink? 

When you place an object in water, the force of gravity pushes the object to the bottom, but another force pushes the object upwards. We call this force bouyancy.

Whether an object sinks or floats in a liquid depends on the MATERIAL it is made of. 

If an object is light for its size, it floats. These objects have a LOW DENSITY of matter. 

If an object is heavy for its size, it sinks. These objects have a HIGH DENSITY of matter.

Some objects are light for their size because they contain AIR. Large ships weigh a lot, but because their hull is hollow they are light for their size and have a low density.

Watch the videos below to understand it in a better way:

Have a nice weekend!