BOATS
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Photos by Brenton Savikko
The first thing you should know is the physics behind a boat, seeing how you can't have a boating adventure without one.
To keep it simple, let's check out the main thing you should know about a boat: Buoyancy.
Buoyancy, by definition, is the upward force exerted by a liquid on any immersed object. If the force of the liquid on the object is greater than that of the object on the liquid then the object will float. In other words buoyancy is dependent upon the density of the liquid and the volume of the object submerged.
Buoyancy:
Fb= d*g*V
Where Fb= the magnitude of the buoyant force
d= density of the liquid, g= force of gravity (9.8 m/s^2), V= volume of the submerged object
All object displace fluid when in a liquid, because no two objects can occupy the same space at the same time. Archimedes principle states that the magnitude of the buoyant force always equals the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.
Archimedes Principle
Fb=Mw
Where Fb= magnitude of buoyant force and Mw= mass of the water displaced.
(Equations taken from Physics for Scientists) Buoyancy can be applied to boats. The combined mass of everything on the boat is less than the force of the fluid acting against it, allowing the boat to float. This is nice. The water is cold.
Other physics topics related to boats are Effects of traveling to close to another boat, Methods of drag reduction, How a jet engine works.