Everybody knows that ships are supposed to float. Objects float because their weight is less than the buoyant force. A buoyant force is an upward force exerted by liquid on an object. If in object's weight is greater than the buoyant force, the object sinks. A chunk of steel would normally sink but a ship floats even though it is made with steel. That is because the ship has a lot of air in it and the weight of the air and the steel averaged out is less than the buoyant force which means the ship will float. If ships are supposed to float, why would they sink? Ships and many other objects sink because water is leaking into them. If water leaks into something, that object gets heavier and its weight could overcome the buoyant force. In a ship, water can leak into the bilge area which is the lowest point on the ship. Because water can leak into the bilge area, most ships have bilge pumps which pump the water out of the ship. There are a few different ways that a ship can sink and many steps to take to stay safe.
Check out http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/sinking-ship1.htm
for more information on what to do on a sinking ship.
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