Why do swimmers float better in the ocean than they do in freshwater? I need answers ASAP!?

PLEASE HELP. Please give details if so, or even the link to a site with the answer works. thank you!

2006-11-16T07:13:27Z

Thanks everyone!

usarora12006-11-15T20:18:47Z

Favorite Answer

#1.When a body floats it displaces fluid (water here) equal in weight to its own weight.

#2.Buoyancy is equal to weight of the fluid displaced

so that we can say for a floating body:
buoyancy = weight of the fluid displaced = weight floating body

#3.Sea water density is more than that of fresh water,

so a lesser amount of sea water provides the required buoyancy to enable the swimmer float, and less sea water needs to be displaced.

This makes the job of swimmer easier.

[BTW: A boiled egg floats easily in salty water for the same reason]

ZEE2006-11-15T21:12:28Z

If an object that is placed in water weighs less than the water it displaces....it will float.(In fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place, so that it can be weighed.)

Take an object and place it in fresh water. The object will push water out of a spot and take the place that the water was in.This is called "displacement".If the object floats, this means that the water that was displaced ( pushed out of the way) weighs more than the object. If you were to take the water that was pushed out of the way and set it on a scale--you would find that it weighs more than the object.
The upward force from the water is stronger than the downward force of the object. If it were the other way around--- the object would sink.

Take the same object mentioned above and place it in the same amount of water....but this time salt water. It would displace the same amount of liquid yet if you were to weigh this displaced salt water you would find that it weighs more than the fresh water.
Because it is heavier it's upward force on the object is stronger.

Experiment:
Take some fresh water and some salt water.
Put them in seperate containers.
Place objects that are identical and which float in each container.
Push them under water and then let them go.
Which one comes up faster?
The one with the stronger upward force.

I think I got that right.......somebody correct me if I didn't.

Check out the site below.....it knows more than I do :)

Cab3022006-11-15T20:25:06Z

A floating body displaces its own weight by volume. The equation that relates mass, m, with volume, v, involves density,d.
density = mass/volume
mass = density x volume
Ocean water has a density greater than that of fresh water because of salts and all the other things that disolve in it. Therefore for the same mass, the volume displaced by a floating object will be less than the volume displaced in fresh water. That is, floating becomes easier.
Weight = mass x acceleration due to gravity, g.
= mg
g is a constant. It has the same value for every object.

Anonymous2006-11-15T20:02:03Z

Salt water makes everything more boyant. Go to Utah and jump in the Great Salt Lake and see for yourself.

Watch the movie SLC Punk. They try to ditch a stolen car into The Great Salt lake and it doesnt work because it just floats there and never sinks.....Funny

DUNE2006-11-15T20:00:32Z

Salt

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