Research for a book - Would it float question

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    Book Float Research
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether a steel container, sealed and empty, with a mass of 8000 lbs and specific dimensions, would float in the ocean or sink. The context is related to a fictional scenario for a novel, involving principles of buoyancy and Archimedes' Principle.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents the dimensions of the container and its mass, questioning if it would float or sink.
  • Another participant calculates the volume of the container and the weight of the equivalent volume of water, suggesting that the container would float based on these calculations.
  • A follow-up comment notes that while the calculations seem correct, the structural integrity of the container must also be considered when determining how much cargo it could hold before sinking.
  • Participants reference Archimedes' Principle as relevant to the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no explicit consensus reached regarding the final determination of whether the container would float or sink, as the discussion includes calculations and considerations but does not resolve the question definitively.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the importance of structural integrity when considering the cargo capacity of the container, indicating that additional factors may influence the outcome.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in buoyancy, physics principles related to floating and sinking, or those involved in writing or conceptualizing scenarios for fiction may find this discussion relevant.

mlguts
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It has been many years since my studies in physics and engineering in college. My wife is writing a novel, and had a question that I struggled to answer.

If there were a container (empty) constructed of steel with a mass of 8000lbs, with dimensions of 40ft/8ft/8ft (assume inner dimensions); would it float in the ocean or sink to the bottem. The container is air tight and sealed.

Thank you in advance for any thoughts!

Michael
 
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mlguts said:
It has been many years since my studies in physics and engineering in college. My wife is writing a novel, and had a question that I struggled to answer.

If there were a container (empty) constructed of steel with a mass of 8000lbs, with dimensions of 40ft/8ft/8ft (assume inner dimensions); would it float in the ocean or sink to the bottem. The container is air tight and sealed.

Thank you in advance for any thoughts!

Michael

Welcome to the PF, Michael. If you had a volume of water equivalent in size to that container, how much would that water weigh? More or less than the 8000lbs?
 
40*8*8 = 2560 cu ft
~62 lbs/cu ft
160,000 lbs of water
Therefore float.

And could hold around 152,000 lbs of cargo before sinking?

Is that correct?
 
mlguts said:
40*8*8 = 2560 cu ft
~62 lbs/cu ft
160,000 lbs of water
Therefore float.

And could hold around 152,000 lbs of cargo before sinking?

Is that correct?

Looks basically correct. Remember about the cargo, though, that the vessel has to be strong enough to hold the load. But otherwise, it looks correct.

BTW, the floating thing is called Archimedes Principle. Here's more reading if you're interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes_principle

.
 
Thanks! It is all starting to come back now :) I appreciate the help!

Michael
 
mlguts said:
My wife is writing a novel

Let us know if she gets published. I wouldn't mind reading it.
 
Will do!
 

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