Question

If a boat displaces 2,000 N of water, what is the maximum possible weight of the boat and its contents so that it remains afloat?

Answer 1

Answer: 2000 N

Explanation:

When a boat is floating on the water, there are two forces acting on the boat:

• The weight of the boat, downward, W
• The buoyant force on the boat, B, upward

The buoyant force is equal to the weight of the water displaced by the boat:

$B=\rho V g$

where

$\rho$ is the water density

V is the volume of displaced water

g is the acceleration of gravity

When the boat is floating (equilibrium), the two forces are balancing each other:

$W=B$

Therefore, since the boat displaces 2000 N of water, it means that

B = 2000 N

And so, the maximum weight of the boat is

W = 2000 N