Characteristics of Sinking
Sinking
Sinking means to submerge underwater.
How ships float
As an object is placed in water, it pushes enough water out of the way to make room for itself, which is described as displacement. This trait allows the boats to obtain buoyancy. Two forces are acted upon an object when it enters water, gravity and buoyancy. To keep boats afloat, the boat's gravity and the buoyancy it displaces must be balanced. When the weight of the object is greater than the weight of the amount of water is displaces, the object will sink.
A notion of why ships sink
Ships are considered steadier when its center of gravity is lower. When it's lower, the ship sways more rapidly though, so some ships keep their center of gravity at a higher point. That way, its passengers won't be as sea sick and they will feel calm, because the ship rolls slower. Although that keeps the passengers feeling safe and peaceful, it is more dangerous than it seems. While the center of gravity is higher, the ship will roll to a further point at it's side. That makes the ships less safe, especially in extreme conditions. This can be a reason a ship would sink. Another reason could be because of how the ship was designed. For example, the steel that was used for the design of the Titanic and Costa Concordia was so weak, that when it struck the ice berg/rock, the steel couldn't withstand the pressure that was put onto it. That was one explanation as to why the two ships sank.
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