MHB Water Displacement Volume question

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SUMMARY

The discussion clarifies the concept of water displacement volume in relation to an immersed object, specifically a bridge. The volume of the bridge is determined by calculating the volume of water displaced, which is not equal to the height difference alone. The correct calculation involves using the dimensions of the displaced water: a height of 0.02m, a length of 3.5m, and a width of 2m, resulting in a total volume of 0.14m³. This understanding is crucial for accurately determining the volume of submerged objects.

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  • Understanding of the principle of water displacement
  • Basic knowledge of volume calculation (length x width x height)
  • Familiarity with metric units of measurement
  • Concept of buoyancy in fluid mechanics
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akarikairi
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Sorry if this is the wrong category for this.

I am mostly confused about this question because I thought that displaced water WAS the volume of any given object. I'm confused by the reasoning of the actual answer for this. Is there something I'm missing here?

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The difference between the height of water when the bridge is immersed minus the height of the water when the bridge is removed is 0.02m. This is not the volume of the bridge; you need to calculate the volume of water with a height of 0.02, a length of 3.5m and a width of 2m:

$$3.5\text m\times2\text m\times0.02\text m=0.14\text m^3$$

This is the volume of the bridge.
 
Ah ok, that makes sense. I see it now. Thanks for clearing that up :)
 

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