When an open-faced boat has a mass of 5750kg, including its cargo and passengers, it floats with the water just up to the side on a freshwater lake. (a)What is the volume of this boat? (b) The captain decides that it is too dangerous and wants to throw some cargo overboard so that 20% of the boat's volume will be above water. How much mass should he throw out?

I think I am overthinking this ?
For part a, is it just the V=D*M?

1 answer

(a) No, you have density (D) in the wrong place. For freshwater, D = 1000 kg/m^3

Volume *(water density) = Mass of boat

(b) (reduction in mass) = density * (reduction in volume). 20% of the original mass should be thrown out.