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Dan P
Dan P asked in Science & MathematicsPhysics · 1 decade ago

Physics question, please no wise crack answers. I will delete them.?

GIVEN:

1. Swimming pool not quite full of water, small boat, several objects in the boat, a heavy, large piece of wood; a beach ball full of air, a bowling ball, and a piece of styrofoam (any size)

QUESTION - PLEASE ANSWER ALL PARTS.

When each item is removed from the boat:

1. What happens to the position of the boat in the water (the level of the water on the outside of the boat) as each item is removed from the boat and cast into or onto the water?

2. What happens to the level of the water at the edge of the pool? Answer must include an answer for all items.

I have an answer I thought was good, but as I have posed the question to my brilliant daughters, I have been told my answer was incomplete.

Math is not necessary to answer the questions so size and weight are generalized. The larger you consider the item or it's weight, the more correct your answer could be, within reasonable limits. I do not need or expect math equasions. Explainations will be sufficient.

Update:

Congratulations most of the current answers are along the lines of what I was looking for! Most indicate little or no change in the pool water level. This is my debate with daughters. Keyword volume vs weight(mass). Also the size of the boat should matter. Even minute or dificult to measure levels count in the answers I am looking for. Consider the edge of the pool has an infinite measuring device.

Most answers boarder on what I had in mind.

Additional question (for extra points on the exam): What happens to the displacement of water surrounding the items? Floating on the surface(barely depressed in the water)? submerged? Partly submerged?

No, I am not a college professor or teacher! Further comments after I arrive at home in a few hours.

4 Answers

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  • guesswho?
    Lv 4
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Wood removed -

    boat floats higher in water and water level in pool rises

    both stay same for beach ball

    bowling ball is the same answer as the wood (it is just a special case shape of a piece of heay wood)

    the styrofoam behaves the same way as the beachball.

  • gioh87
    1 decade ago

    1. The position of the boat in the water will not change in any significant manner when the beach ball of air or styrofoam is cast into the water. However the boat will raise from the water some amount when the bowling ball and the heavy, large piece of wood is removed from the boat into the water. These objects have significant weight/density to change the buoyancy of the boat. After the objects are removed the weight/density of the boat is less well be less submerged in the water. The beach ball and the styrofoam have a small density and weight compared to the other objects and water so they will not affect the boat's position significantly.

    2. the water level at the edge of the pool will not change when the objects are removed from the boat because they are still displacing the water whether they are inside the boat or in the water. Their mass is still present whether they are in the water or adding to the mass of the boat. When they are in the boat the objects are pushing the boat down to displace the water as a whole. When all the objects are off the boat, they are all displacing the water separately but still add up to the same displacement

  • The Arbiter of common sense
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    Norrie has it right. The boat rises with each item removed, because it's weight (and the amount of water it displaces (see Archimedes) changes. Even with the beachball and the styrofoam, although granted, with those the change would be SO small that it would likely not be measurable.

    Also, each and every item (boat included) is already displacing water, so the overall water level stays the same.

  • Norrie
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    1..The boat, by losing mass will rise in the water.

    2..The pool level will not change as the objects are still displacing the same mass of water.

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