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Fluids

Sinking and Floating: Buoyancy

How much water does a ship need in order to float?

Not a lot of water is needed to keep a ship afloat, just enough so that it can displace enough water to equal its weight. Therefore, if a ship were to enter a canal that was just a bit larger than the size of the ship’s hull, it would float as long as there was a small film of water around the entire hull of the ship.