🔬 Science

Does it float, or does it sink?

An object does not float because it is light — it floats because it is light for its size. The cork and the wooden ball bob up to the surface. The stone and the metal nut sink to the bottom.

Light for its size floats — heavy sinks
Light for its size → floats
Heavy for its size → sinks
Buoyancy: the water pushes up
density
decides if something floats — not weight alone
~8 %
lighter is ice than water — so icebergs float
buoyancy
the water's upward push carries the whole ship