• Question: Is it possible to build an "unsinkable" ship?

    Asked by scienceismylyfe to Mike, Pip, Tianfu, Tim, Tom on 26 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Tom Lister

      Tom Lister answered on 26 Jun 2012:

      Yes. It has to be lighter than water.

      So, if you made it out of polystyrene, it would always float (although it may smash to pieces – floating pieces – as soon as you get it out to sea)

      There are probably better ways of doing this too.

    • Photo: Tianfu Yao

      Tianfu Yao answered on 26 Jun 2012:

      The design and material are the key factors for ship. Maybe someday, this can become possible.

    • Photo: Tim Stephens

      Tim Stephens answered on 26 Jun 2012:

      If it’s less dense than water, yes. There is a company near Southampton who make a yacht that they claim is unsinkable. It’s got lots of sealed compartments that are full of expanded foam so that even if the cabin is full of water, it won’t sink. The company’s name is Etap – you can google for them.

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