Submarine Sinking: Calculate Volume Needed to Flood

[p.mcnamara]

Homework Statement

A submarine that weighs 10,000kg in air and has a volume of 12m3 floats in a harbor. How much of its volume do we need to flood in order to just begin sinking it in salt water with a density 1.02 g/cm3?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

Fgravity = mass of object * g = volume of object * density of object * g

 

[tms]

The first step is to determine what forces are acting on the boat: one is gravity, the other is the buoyant force.