Does porcelain float?
Does porcelain float?
No
2,400 kg/m³ against water's 1,000
Porcelain sinks. At 2,400 kg/m³ it is 2.40 times denser than water.
Why
Floating is decided by density alone — mass divided by volume — compared against the fluid. Weight has nothing to do with it directly: a 200-tonne ship floats and a 2-gram pebble sinks, because the ship encloses enough air to bring its average density below that of water. That is also the only reason a steel hull works.
The numbers
- Density
- 2,400 kg/m³ (2,300–2,500)
- Relative to fresh water
- 2.400×
- Floats in fresh water
- No
- Floats in seawater
- No
Compared with other materials
| Material | Density | Floats |
|---|---|---|
| woven carbon fibre composite | 1,550 kg/m³ | No |
| unidirectional carbon fibre composite | 1,600 kg/m³ | No |
| magnesium | 1,738 kg/m³ | No |
| brick | 1,900 kg/m³ | No |
| fibreglass (GRP) | 1,900 kg/m³ | No |
| fired clay (terracotta) | 1,900 kg/m³ | No |
| PTFE | 2,170 kg/m³ | No |
| fused quartz | 2,200 kg/m³ | No |
| graphite | 2,200 kg/m³ | No |
| borosilicate glass | 2,230 kg/m³ | No |
Common questions
- Does porcelain float in water?
- No — at 2,400 kg/m³ it is denser than water's 1,000.
- Does weight decide whether something floats?
- No, density does. A 200-tonne ship floats and a small pebble sinks, because the ship encloses enough air to bring its average density below water.
Related pages
- Porcelain properties Density, melting point, strength
- Does air float? Yes
- Does expanded polystyrene foam float? Yes
- Does rigid polyurethane foam float? Yes
- Does EVA foam float? Yes
- Does balsa float? Yes
- Does corrugated cardboard float? Yes
- Does cork float? Yes
- Does western red cedar float? Yes
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place