MadSci Network: Chemistry |
The average density of the human body is a bit less than that of pure water-- because of the gas in the lungs and, to a lesser extent, in the gut. If those spaces are filled with water, a person sinks in fresh water--which is why people usually recover the bodies of people drowned in lakes or rivers by "dragging" the body of water. I think people who drown in the ocean also sink. I can think of several liquids in which a living person would sink. They would have to have a density less than that of water. What liquids float on water? Dan Berger MadSci Admin
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