(2) Why does an aircraft carrier made of steel, a metal that sinks in water, float?
The key to this problem is that the aircraft carrier is not solid steel. Much of the ship is empty space or is made of materials less dense than steel. The large size of the ship means that a large volume of water is displaced. Because of the empty space in the ship, the weight of the displaced water, and hence the buoyant force, are at least as great as the weight of the ship, and the ship will float. (The ship will actually float in an equilibrium where the weight of the displaced water is equal to the weight of the ship.)
