What can you say about the average density of a ship floating on water in relation to the density of water?

Answer

To analyze the relationship between the average density of a ship floating on water and the density of water, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Concept of Density
Density is defined as mass per unit volume. It is a measure of how much matter is contained in a given volume.

### Step 2: Consider the Density of Water
The density of water is approximately 1 gram per cubic centimeter (g/cm³) or 1000 kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³) at standard conditions.

### Step 3: Understand Why Ships Float
For an object to float, the buoyant force acting on it must be equal to its weight. According to Archimedes' principle, the buoyant force is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.

### Step 4: Relate the Average Density of the Ship to Water
When a ship floats, it displaces a volume of water whose weight is equal to the weight of the ship. This means that the average density of the ship (mass of the ship/volume of the ship) must be less than the density of the water for it to float.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Therefore, the average density of a ship is less than the density of water. This is why ships, despite being made of heavy materials, can float on water.

### Final Answer
The average density of a ship floating on water is less than the density of water.

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