How do big ships float?

Ever wonder why ships don't just sink like a stone? Ever wondered how ships, even massive ones, are able to float on water? It all comes down to a simple but powerful concept: buoyancy. From Archimedes' Principle to the design of hulls and displacement theory, we will break down the physics that make it possible for ships to stay afloat.

00:00 INTRO
01:39 Gross Tonnage and Displacement
02:29 Archimedes Principle
03:29 Water Displacement
05:20 Why doesn’t a ship sink?
06:14 How different water conditions impact floatation
07:43 Stability of a ship – Gravity and Buoyancy
09:58 OUTRO

Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels | from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!

#ships #sinking #disaster #titanic #wrecks #exploration #history #adventure #design #engineering #mairitime #safety #vessels #sailing #documentary #story #oceanlinerdesigns

[michaelimbesi]

Thank you for being basically the first youtuber to make a clear and accessible explanation of the difference between gross tonnage and displacement. And double thanks for explaining the role of water density!

[skenzyme]

Bruce Ismay: [incredulously] But this ship can't FLOAT!
Michael Brady: She's made of iron, sir! I assure you, she can... and she will. It is a mathematical certainty.

[FlymanMS]

Ah yes, Empire State building, my favorite big ship.

[pknark]

Hey! It’s my friend Mike Brady from ocean liner designs!

[danlabok]

Thank you so much for explaining tonnage, how to measure displacement etc to us land locked folks.

[MGower]

One thing nobody ever expected to float was the Bigfoot monster truck. But the tires hold such a volume of air the truck can actually float. Bigfoot was fitted with a second tire at each corner for stability and actually raced a paddlewheeler on the Mississippi River. The boat won. But it was a very poor sport about it and refused a rematch on land.

[MisterOcclusion]

I’ve been browsing many of your videos, and this is the first time that I’ve seen an explanation of displacement versus gross tonnage. Up till now I had thought them interchangeable. Thanks for the disambiguation.

[Walker_TR]

It's always a good day when my friend, Mike Brady from Oceanliner Designs uploads another banger video. Keep up the good work!

[JLowe]

Always glad to see our friend Mike Brady from Oceanliner Designs!

[williamdunklin]

Great video! I'd like to see a further explanation of hull shapes - particularly the difference between the flat bottom of ocean liners vs the V shape bottoms of sailing ships vs the sword-like keel of smaller sailing vessels.

[smoceany]

it is now my supervillian plan to replace the worlds oceans with oil

[miloanderson]

For all us Americans, the queen Mary 2 is a little over 3 football fields long or roughly 0.75 metric freedoms long.

As an American I also wish we measured everything in metric.

[geecroe-vuxk]

Tis a good day when my friend, Mike Brady, from Oceanliner Designs uploads

[BobbyBobby-wikv]

When I was a child my great-grandmother would tell stories about coming over from the old country aboard the empire state building, they were cramped and famished for food but happy to arrive into the liberty bell....

[lenlevine]

Wonderful job Mike. I like the generic videos a lot because they help to understand the ones on specific ships. A good mix is great. Titanic, tho, enough already. Suggest a video on how Francis Gibbs designed SS United States to avoid risk of fire. THANKS

[jimmcmeen]

Man your videos are bangers! You should be proud of your worked. I remember when you were around 100k subscribers.

Keep it up man!

[thirstyCactus]

Right, so if a ship takes on water, it's displacement weight goes up, so the ship must drop to displace that same amount of water. That's a pretty clear way of thinking about it. Thanks, Mike!

[Lesnz]

I learnt that way back when I was at school as one of my maths teachers was a boatie and he decided to teach us how boats and ships float to explain Archimedes principle. Cool that you were able to it much like he did in a straightforward manner. Thanks Mike

[MrToaster]

Thanks a lot for your perfectly understandable explanation!!!! Great video as always Mike It's always pure joy to watch your videos I just love it ❤

[nozrep]

that is fascinating. Did not know any of that! And yah I am one of them people watching a lot ship videos recently in the wake of Francis Scott Key Bridge, whereas I would not normally watch educational ship oriented videos.