07 December 2008

Physics quiz question

A man in a boat on a very small lake throws an anchor into the water. Does the water level of the lake then rise, fall, or stay the same?

Answer at the Feynman lectures (click on "answer" or "solution").


  1. I'll check the article, but at first thought I would say that the lake level will stay the same.
    The weight of the anchor in the boat displaces the same amount of water whether it is in the water or it is hauled onto the boat.
    Lets see what the article says now.

  2. Yep, didn't take into consideration of weight versus volume.
    I guess that no matter what you throw out of the boat will make the boat rise and the water level of the lake go down.

  3. I would have said the same as you, gbradley. Ahh well. It's been too many years since college Physics :)


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