When the hollow space of a ship is filled with air, it increases the ship's buoyancy. A ship's ability to float is based on buoyancy, which is the upward force exerted by the displaced water. This displaced water is equal to the volume of the ship below the waterline.
When the hollow space is filled with air rather than water, the overall weight of the ship may decrease, as air is much lighter than water. As a result, the ship displaces a certain amount of water that corresponds to its volume. If the overall weight of the ship (including the filled hollow space) remains less than the buoyant force acting on it from the displaced water, then the ship will continue to float.
However, if the hollow space is filled with water instead of air, the weight of the ship would increase. This could lead to an increase in the ship's overall weight beyond what the buoyancy force can support, causing the ship to sink.
In summary, if the hollow space of the ship is filled with air, the buoyancy increases, which typically makes the ship more stable and able to support greater loads. However, care must be taken to ensure that the balance of weight and buoyancy remains optimal for the ship to operate safely.
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