Question

why do. a dead body float on water

Answer 1

The body of someone who is dead With lungs full of air passage Of the air out of the body is blocked Will likely to float.Bodies after decomposition will float as density Is less.

Answer 2

The dead body is denser than water hence it sinks. while at the bottom of the water, gases which are lighter than the water build up in the dead body make the body less dense. After some times (24 hrs) , the weight of the body becomes less denser than the water hence the body floats. Remember, the greater the density of a substance, the greater it ability to submerge in water.

As the body sinks into deep water, the pressure of the water tends to compress gasses in the abdominal and chest cavities with the result that the body displaces less water as it sinks deeper and consequently becomes less and less buoyant, the further down it goes.

Almost without exception, a dead body lying on the bottom of a river or lake will come to the surface again. This is due to gas formed in the body tissues as decay occurs. When enough gas has formed to inflate the tissues and distend the skin, the body becomes lighter than water and rises to the surface. This process is due to the action of bacteria within the body.

Consequently, the length of time that elapses before the body rises depends

not only upon the amount of fat contained in the tissues but on the temperature of the water. If the water is warm, the formation of gas within the body occurs rapidly and the body may rise to the surface in a day or two.

However, if the water is cold, bacterial action takes place very slowly and it may take several weeks before the body appears on the surface.