Boats

How does a boat float?

How does a boat float? Jonathan Poland

A boat floats due to the principle of buoyancy, which is based on Archimedes’ principle. Archimedes’ principle states that an object submerged in a fluid experiences an upward force called the buoyant force, which is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.

When a boat is placed on water, it displaces a certain volume of water. The weight of the displaced water pushes upward against the boat, creating a buoyant force. At the same time, the weight of the boat pulls it downward due to gravity. If the buoyant force is equal to or greater than the weight of the boat, the boat will float.

The key to designing a boat that floats is to distribute its weight across a large enough volume so that the buoyant force can counteract the downward force of gravity. This is why boats typically have a hull with a wide and flat bottom, allowing them to displace a large volume of water and generate a sufficient buoyant force to keep the boat afloat. Materials used in boat construction can also play a role in buoyancy, with lightweight materials like aluminum, fiberglass, or even certain types of wood helping to keep the overall weight of the boat down.

Learn More
Customer Advocacy Jonathan Poland

Customer Advocacy

Customer advocacy is a customer service strategy that involves employees representing and fighting for the interests of customers, rather than…

Business Scale Jonathan Poland

Business Scale

Business scale refers to the impact that a company’s size has on its competitive advantage. A scalable business is one…

Cottage Industry Jonathan Poland

Cottage Industry

A cottage industry is a small-scale, home-based business or economic activity that is typically run by a single person or…

Abstraction Jonathan Poland

Abstraction

Abstraction is a problem-solving technique that involves looking at a problem in general, rather than specific, terms. It involves using…

Innovation 101 Jonathan Poland

Innovation 101

Innovation is the process of creating new ideas, products, or processes that add value to a company. This can be…

Business Development Skills Jonathan Poland

Business Development Skills

Business development is a term that is often used to refer to sales jobs. However, it can also refer to…

Types of Fallacies Jonathan Poland

Types of Fallacies

A fallacy is an error in reasoning that can lead to an incorrect conclusion. Fallacies can be found in arguments,…

What is FMCG? Jonathan Poland

What is FMCG?

Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) are products that are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost. These products are…

IT Architecture Jonathan Poland

IT Architecture

An IT architecture is a framework that describes the components of an information technology (IT) system, how they work together,…

Content Database

Search over 1,000 posts on topics across
business, finance, and capital markets.

Bausch + Lomb Jonathan Poland

Bausch + Lomb

Baxter International Inc. is a global healthcare company that develops and manufactures medical products and services for a wide range…

Media Vehicles Jonathan Poland

Media Vehicles

A media vehicle refers to a specific media outlet or platform that is used to deliver advertising messages to a…

Risk Contingency Jonathan Poland

Risk Contingency

A risk contingency plan is a course of action that is put in place to mitigate the negative consequences of…

Sales Objections Jonathan Poland

Sales Objections

A sales objection is a concern or hesitation that a customer has about making a purchase. Identifying and addressing these…

Stability Jonathan Poland

Stability

Stability is the ability of a system, organization, or individual to maintain its current state or condition despite external pressures…

Switching Barriers Jonathan Poland

Switching Barriers

Switching barriers are factors that make it difficult or inconvenient for customers to switch from one product or service to…

Business Goals Jonathan Poland

Business Goals

Business goals are targets that an organization sets for itself in order to improve its overall strategy and performance. These…

Business Values Jonathan Poland

Business Values

Business values are statements that reflect the ethical principles of a company. These values are intended to guide the company’s…

Process Improvement Jonathan Poland

Process Improvement

Process improvement is a systematic approach to identifying and implementing changes to processes within an organization in order to improve…