5.

3 Floating and sinking

• Find out that the mass and shape of an object can affect if it floats or sinks

• Use force diagrams to describe effects of forces

• Make predictions and find out whether our predictions were correct

• Plan a fair test and identify the independent, dependent and control variables

• Practice fair testing and pattern seeking

• Take accurate measurements

• Collect and record observations and measurements in tables

• Describe patterns in results and identify any results that do not fit the pattern

• Make a conclusion from results using knowledge about floating and sinking

• Suggest changes which could improve a boat design

• Present results in a scatter graph.

Getting started
1. If you place the cork on the surface of the water in
the bowl, will it float or sink?
2. Why do you think the cork does this?
3. If you place the coin on the surface of the water in
the bowl, will it float or sink?
4. Why do you think the coin does this?
5. Look at the photograph of the container ship. This
ship has a mass of thousands of tons. How do you
think the container ship can float?
1. If you place the cork on the surface of the water in the bowl, will it float or sink?

It will float.

2. Why do you think the cork does this?

It feels light in weight.

3. If you place the coin on the surface of the water in the bowl, will it float or sink?

It will sink.

4. Why do you think the coin does this?

The coin is heavy.

5. Look at the photograph of the container ship. This ship has a mass of thousands of tons. How do you
think the container ship can float?

The weight/mass is spread across a large area which allows it to float.

Displaced upthrust

Forces acting an objects when they float or sink

When an object is an water there are two forces acting on it:

• weight due to force of gravity

• upthrust.

Try pushing a ball down on to the surface of water – you can feel the water pushing up
underneath the ball. This is the upthrust force. The upthrust for causes water to be displaced or
pushed out of the way.
 This idea of displacement was discovered by a man called Archimedes who lived in
Ancient Greece.

He was sitting in his bath one day and he noticed that all the water displaced as he sat in
the bath.

He was so excited that he ran into the street shouting ‘Eureka!’, Greek for ‘I have solved
it!’
 How do we know whether an object will float or sink?

We can measure the mass in kilograms of an object so we can compare its mass with the
mass of the water it will displace.

This will show us whether the object will float or sink.

If the mass of the object is less than, or equal to, the mass of water displaced by upthrust,
the object will float.

If the mass of the object is greater than the mass of water displaced by upthrust, the object
will sink.
 How does the force diagram show why one ball floats and the other sinks?

Notice that the force arrows for the floating ball are equal in length. The ball would also
float if the gravity arrow was shorter than the upthrust arrow.

With the sinking ball, the gravity force arrow is longer than the upthrust arrow so the ball
sinks below the surface.

The container ship has a huge mass but it displaces an even greater mass of water.

This is why the container ship can float.

Activity

Fair testing, force diagrams and writing a conclusion

Answer these questions about the practical you have just done on how mass effects whether an
object floats or sinks.

1. Identify the control, dependent and independent variables.

2. How did you make this a fair test?

3. a. Draw and label a force diagram to show the small container floating.

b. Draw and label a force diagram to show the small container sinking.

4. Write a conclusion.
1. Identify the control, dependent and independent variables.

The control variables are the liquid in the large container and the mass of the small plastic
container(these remain the same).

The dependent variable is the floating or sinking of the container (this is what you observe
as a result of changing the total mass of sand in the small container).

The independent variable is the total mass of sand (or rice) you put in the small container
(this changes).

2. How did you make this a fair test?

The type of liquid in the large container was always the same; the same small container
was used each time; 10 go sand was measured with the same measuring scale each time.
3. a. Draw and label a force diagram to show the small container floating.

Note that the gravity arrows should be the same length as the upthrust arrow.

b. Draw and label a force diagram to show the small container sinking.

Note that the gravity arrow is longer than the upthrust arrow.
4. Write a conclusion.
When the mass of the object is less than or equal to the mass of water displaced by the
upthrust force, the object floats. When the mass of the object is more than the mass of water
displaced by the upthrust force, the object sinks.
Think like a Scientist 1

How does mass affect floating and sinking?

You will need:

a large container half-full of water, a measuring scale, a small plastic container, sand(or
rice), a spoon

1. Draw a table with three columns to record your predictions and results. Write these headings
for columns: Amount of sand; Prediction (float or sink) and Result (float or sink).

2. From what you know about floating and sinking, predict whether the plastic container will
float or sink. Write your prediction on the table.

3. Test your prediction. Record your result in your table.

4. Measure 10 g of sand. Put the sand into the small container. Predict whether the container will
float or sink. Write your prediction on your table.

5. Test your prediction. Record your result in your table.

6. Continue adding another 10 g of sand to the small container and repeat steps 4 and 5 until the
container sinks.
How the shape of an object affects floating
and sinking
Mass is not the only thing that affects
floating and sinking. In the next practical
activity, you are going to see what effect the
shape of the object has.
Think like a Scientist 2

How does shape affect floating and sinking?

You will need;

a large container half-full of water, ten marbles, an aluminum foil dish, some aluminum foil

1. From what you know about floating and sinking, predict whether a marble will float or sink in
the water. Test your prediction.

2. Put a marble in the aluminum foil dish. Predict whether the marble will float or sink in the
water now. Test your prediction.

3. Place more marbles, one at a time, onto the aluminum foil dish. Continue until the dish sinks.

4. In your group, make different shaped ‘boats’ out of the aluminum foil. See how many marbles
each boat will hold before it sinks.
Questions

1. Draw the shape of aluminum boat which held the most marbles before it sank.

2. How could you change the shape of your boat to make it hold even more marbles?

3. Identify a pattern in how the shape of the container affects whether an object floats or sinks.

4. Write a conclusion about how the shape of an object affects whether the object floats or sinks.

5. Look at the container ship in the photograph at the beginning of this topic Scientists have used
their knowledge of floating and sinking to design the most economical shape to carry heavy loads
of containers without sinking.

a. Use what you have learnt to explain how this ship can float.

b. What will happen when the ship carries empty containers?

6. Marcus and Arun did a similar investigation using different shaped foil containers and coins
instead of marbles. They used the same sized coins each time. They recorded their results on a
table.

Area of base 2 4 5 7 9 11 14 16
of container /
cm2
Number of 1 2 2 3 4 6 7 9
coins before
container sank

Present the data in the table in a scatter graph. Refer to the Skills at the end of this book to remind
yourself of how to draw a scatter graph. Identify the trend, a negative trend or no trend.
3. Identify a pattern in how the shape of the container affects whether an object floats or sinks.

The larger the surface of the container in contact with the water, the more likely the
object inside the container is float.

4. Write a conclusion about how the shape of an object affects whether the object floats or sinks.

An object of a certain mass that has a small, compact shape will sink. An object of
the same mass with a larger, flatter shape will float.
5. Look at the container ship in the photograph at the beginning of this topic Scientists have used
their knowledge of floating and sinking to design the most economical shape to carry heavy loads
of containers without sinking.

a. Use what you have learnt to explain how this ship can float.

Although the container ship has a large mass, it has a large, flat shape that allows it
to float.

b. What will happen when the ship carries empty containers?

When the ship carries empty containers its mass is less so it floats higher in the water
than when the containers are full.
6. Graph showing the relationship between container’s base area and the number of coins in it
before sinking.

The graph shows a positive trend.