Battleship float (Not for physicists)

wolfgang59

Quiz Master

Posers and Puzzles

07 Jul 07

wolfgang59

Quiz Master

RHP Arms

Joined: 09 Jun 07
Moves: 48794

07 Jul 07

What is the minimum amount of water needed to float a battleship? Lets say with a displacement of 10,000 tons.

Gastel

B is for bye bye

Joined: 09 Apr 06
Moves: 27526

07 Jul 07

None. You could float it in Cesium.

wolfgang59

Quiz Master

RHP Arms

Joined: 09 Jun 07
Moves: 48794

08 Jul 07

OK
What is the minimum amount of water needed to float a battleship in water? Lets say with a displacement of 10,000 tons.

doodinthemood

Joined: 31 May 07
Moves: 696

08 Jul 07

this is going to be horrible, but I just can't resist:
10,001 tonnes.

Marinkatomb

wotagr8game

tbc

Joined: 18 Feb 04
Moves: 61941

08 Jul 07

Originally posted by doodinthemood
this is going to be horrible, but I just can't resist:
10,001 tonnes.

Doesn't it depend on the size of the container? By this i mean, take a sea that is 100 miles in diameter, the amount of water would be massively greater that if the sea was 50 miles in diameter...

wolfgang59

Quiz Master

RHP Arms

Joined: 09 Jun 07
Moves: 48794

08 Jul 07

You're getting there ...

I did not specify the size of the container (so it can be as small as you like). Just want to know the minimum amount of water required.

doodinthemood

Joined: 31 May 07
Moves: 696

08 Jul 07

a drop of water. If your thing is very VERY small and there's no way for that water to get out.

coquette

Already mated

Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Joined: 04 Jul 06
Moves: 1121311

08 Jul 07

Originally posted by doodinthemood
a drop of water. If your thing is very VERY small and there's no way for that water to get out.

precisely correct. Calculate the area of 1 molecular layer of water and put the battleship into a container of the exact shape as the battleship that is 1 water molecule breadth larger. the exact dimensions aren't the point, the point is that it's the container that counts.

wolfgang59

Quiz Master

RHP Arms

Joined: 09 Jun 07
Moves: 48794

08 Jul 07

10/10 :-)

The usually quoted answer is an egg-cup's worth but I suspect it could be less than that.

Be cool to see it demonstrated!