Question

A ship made up of iron and steel floats in water while a piece of iron sinks. Give reason.

Answer 1

1. The necessary condition for floating is that an object must have a density less than that of water.
2. A piece of iron is solid and its density is greater than that of water.
3. Ship is not a solid block of iron and steel. A ship is a hollow object made of iron and steel which contains a lot of air in it.
4. Air has a very low density. Due to the presence of a lot of air in it, the average density of the ship becomes less than the density of water, therefore, a ship floats in water.