Question

question 5 of 10
which of the following best describes why a cruise ship floats?
a. it displaces more than half of its weight in water.
b. it displaces an equal or greater amount of water than its own weight.
c. its volume and mass are equal.
d. its volume is greater than its mass.

Explanation:

According to Archimedes' principle, an object floats when the buoyant force (equal to the weight of the displaced fluid) is equal to or greater than the object's weight. For a cruise ship, it displaces water. When the weight of the displaced water (buoyant force) is equal to or greater than the ship's weight, it floats.

• Option A: Displacing more than half its weight is not the correct condition. The key is equal or greater than its own weight.
• Option C: Volume and mass being equal is not relevant to floating (mass and volume are different physical quantities with different units in most cases, and this equality has no bearing on buoyancy).
• Option D: Volume being greater than mass (again, different units, not a valid comparison for floating) is incorrect.
• Option B: Correct as per Archimedes' principle.

Answer:

B. It displaces an equal or greater amount of water than its own weight.