Does the shape of a piece of steel decide if it floats?
Aluminum foil at the kitchen sink: crush a square into a tight ball and it sinks, flatten the same piece into a little boat and it floats — same metal, same weight. Also bath-time: a heavy steel pot floats but a spoon sinks.
Talk about it
- Same foil, two shapes: crush it into a ball and it sinks, flatten it into a boat and it floats. What changed?
- Why does pushing a beach ball underwater feel so hard?
- If you cut a hole in a floating boat, what do you think happens, and why?