A barge is 15.0 m wide and 75.0 m long and has vertical sides. The bottom of the hull is 1.20 m below the water surface. What is the weight of the barge and its cargo, if it is floating in fresh water of density 1000 kg/m³? A) 22.6 MN B) 13.2 MN C) 1.35 MN D) 1.13 MN E) 11.3 MN

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To determine the weight of the barge and its cargo, we need to calculate the buoyant force acting on it, which is equal to the weight of the water displaced by the barge.

The volume of water displaced by the barge can be calculated as follows:

volume = width x length x height 
volume = 15.0 m x 75.0 m x 1.20 m 
volume = 13500 m^3

The weight of the water displaced can be calculated using the density of fresh water:

weight = volume x density x gravity 
weight = 13500 m^3 x 1000 kg/m^3 x 9.81 m/s^2 
weight = 1324980 N = 1324.98 kN

Therefore, the weight of the barge and its cargo must be equal to the buoyant force, which is 1324.98 kN or 13.2 MN.

The correct answer is B.

A Barge Is 15