Conclusion

How it all comes together


Whether the Vikings were aware of the physics or not, they made strategic actions in building their ships that would minimize drag and increase the speed of the ships. They focused on making long and narrow ships, so the cross section hitting the waves was as small as they could make it. By building their ships in the clinker method, the outside of their ships were sturdy--allowing the frame of their ships to be lighter. By having lighter ships, they displaced less water in the ocean, allowing the ships to ride over the waves more than cut through them decreasing their drag even more. This also allowed the Vikings to travel in shallow water, making them capable of getting close to land and immediately launching an attack instead of having to unload into row boats to get to land. The Vikings ships were truly an impressive feat of the period.

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