Did You Know?

Scuba divers wear weights to make them heavier, so they can descend. Similarly, a ship floats lower in the water when it's full than when it's empty, because more weight makes it displace more water. The weight of the ship equals the weight of the water it displaces.

Photo by Laurie Minor-Penland,
Copyright 1992, Smithsonian Institution

(Rev. 10/22/96)