Physic- 5


Topic 5

A submarine can float on a water surface. It can also cruise below the surface. What special structure of the submarine allows it to operate this way? Explain.



Submarines have ballast tanks outside of the area where the crew live and work. To sink, some of the air is let out of the tanks and some water is let in. To float back up, more air is forced into the tanks, squeezing some water out. Valves control how that happens and how much water/air. Extra air is compressed and kept in bottles. The deeper they are the more pressure the compressed air must be under to force out the water. This is because the water pressure is greater at lower depths and the air pressure must overcome the pressure the water is exerting on the submarine.

There's a food for thought:
If a submarine lands on a seabed,why is it unable to float back up?

Ans by Mr Lim:
Submarines move forward with a outward thrust. As the submarine itself has its weight, when it moves, the water beneath the submarine would give an upward thrust to it, enabling it to move. So when a submarine lands on a sea bed, it's practically impossible for it to move again, well maybe a few inches? Friction and water pressure will be acting on the submarine when it lands on the seabed.

A picture about Kursk:




This is a picture describing the parts of a submarine:

Bits & bites(:
Links to the video of the Kursk Disaster.