Here's a Question!

Announcer: Frostbite Theater presents... Cold Cuts! No baloney!

Joanna and Steve: Just science!

Joanna: Hi! I'm Joanna!

Steve: And I'm Steve!

Joanna: Here's a question for you...

Steve: A boat of dubious construction floats calmly in a partly filled aquarium.

Joanna: The boat's anchor is thrown overboard and comes to rest on the bottom of the aquarium.

Steve: What happens to the draft of the boat?

Joanna: Does the boat rise up, which decreases its draft?

Steve: Does the boat settle into the water, which increases its draft?

Joanna: Does the draft stay the same?

Steve: Or, does it depend on how deep the water is?

Joanna: Pause the video now if you'd like to think it over before we show you what happens.

Steve: What happens to the draft of the boat when the anchor is thrown overboard?

It decreases.

Joanna: The boat floats because it displaces a volume of water with a weight that's equal to the weight of the boat.

Steve: Once the anchor is thrown overboard, its weight is no longer supported by the boat.

Joanna: Since the boat is lighter, it doesn't need to displace as much water in order to float.

Steve: The boat rises up in the water, which decreases its draft.

Joanna: Thanks for watching. I hope you'll join us again soon for another question!