An iron nail sinks in water whereas an iron ship floats. Which of the

An iron nail sinks in water whereas an iron ship floats. Which of the following statements is correct in this regard ?

  • 1. Average density of ship is greater than that of the water
  • 2. Average density of iron nail is greater than that of the water
  • 3. Average density of the ship is less than that of the water
  • 4. Average density of the ship is equal to that of the water

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1 and 2
2 and 3
2 and 4
1 and 4
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2023
Statements 2 and 3 are correct.
An object sinks in water if its average density is greater than the density of water. An object floats if its average density is less than the density of water. An iron nail is a solid piece of iron, and the density of iron is greater than the density of water, so it sinks. An iron ship, despite being made of iron, is designed with a large hollow volume filled with air. The total mass of the ship divided by this large volume (its average density) is less than the density of water, allowing it to float.
Archimedes’ principle states that the buoyant force on an object submerged in a fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. An object floats when the buoyant force equals its weight. A ship displaces a volume of water whose weight is equal to the ship’s weight, and this displacement is possible because the ship’s average density is lower than water.
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