Keyword: Buoyancy

Buoyancy

Buoyancy is the force that pushes upward on an object. Buoyancy acts opposite from gravity and is the reason things float.

Size or shape alone won’t tell you if an object will sink or float. The relationship of its size to its weight -- its density -- is a key part of figuring out its buoyancy. Objects that are large but heavy, like boats, can float, while objects that are light but small, like a kidney bean, can sink.

It is easier to float in a thick, dense liquid than it is to float in regular water. The Dead Sea has a lot of salt in it, making the water heavier than normal. This adds more force pushing up on our team when they float.

Things like helium and hot air balloons float in air because they are less dense than the air around them. The air outside the balloon pushes the balloon upward, just like the water in a tub pushes up on a rubber duck.