dumb question

[bamabassman]

what is up with you guys,hahahahaha. are ya'll this BORED? i got a job for ya'll if ya'll need something to do. hahahahahaha. come over and shovel some topsoil in my back yard. hahahahahahahaha, kidding gang.

[nofearengineer]

Guys...I'll add my two cents.

A bass, being a water creature, can effectively change its gross density by way of its swim bladder. Yes, it can float upwards (lighter than water), or sink (more dense than water) as it chooses, but the difference between its density and water's density is very, very slight. You will never see a bass doing an "emergency blow" and popping out of the water on buoyancy alone. For all intents and purposes, a bass is like water in a fish costume.

The question is more appropriately asked:

If I take 2 lbs of water from the lake, and pour it into my totally full livewell, so that 2 lbs of water overflows, and runs back into the lake, does my boat sit any higher or lower in the water?

The answer is obviously: no difference.

Now, if that bass, already in the livewell, were to somehow super-expand his bladder, such that he now takes up the space of a 5lb fish (I thought this was only possible in my fish stories ) then some more water would drain overboard, and the boat would sit slightly higher.

If he then shrunk back to his normal state (when you have to show him to your buddies), surprisingly, the boat would not go back down. (Unless your boat has an automatic livewell topper-offer )

Since everyone finds this stuff so enjoyable....

A new question:

You are sitting in your bass boat, floating in your backyard swimming pool. You are holding a bowling ball. You drop it over the side into the pool. Does the water level in your pool go up or down?

[BassinID]

the displacement of the ball is based on the density of the ball, not the mass. If you drop an oz of lead in a cup of water, it is gunna displace less water than an oz of steel.
To answer your question the water level would go down because the displacement of the ball would be a direct relationship to the volume of the ball, not anything to do with the mass, while surface tension on the hull of the boat will play a role in how much water is displaced by the boat when the ball is inside of it, the main factor is that the ball is heavier than water and therefore when above water it will displace the same volume of water as the mass of the ball. I could be a little off, if so please correct me, I am just a student in engineering.

[BassinID]

To expound anything lighter than water, when pushed below the surface will displace more water than when in a vessel above the surface, the opposite for something heavier than water. A gallon of water will displace a gallon of water

[nofearengineer]

You nailed it right on the head. Understanding the difference between weight, mass, and density is critical. Sounds like you're going to do well in your field. Which discipline are you going into? If you're going Electrical, like me...I would recommend you take a course out of your field...Fluid Mechanics, though it will probably lower your GPA (it did for me!). Understanding buoyancy and hydraulic forces will make boating much more enjoyable (at least this nerd thinks so ).

[bamabassman]

ok, you 2. let me tell ya'll something ok? i used to work for my father (structural detailer, no degree, tech school). he runs a temporary employment company called SEATEC, INC. and i used to hire and yes, fire guys like ya'll. hahaha, funny ain't it? but look, all this is truly a great field you are going in and very productive too. just remember that it is different out in the field than it is in the books and on paper, ok? not everything is numbers and math out there. i ain't getting down on ya, just take in the "real" time ok? hard for me to explain in the right terms. but look at a set of house plans, at the bottom of MOST plans it is written, "as built". meaning it may vary from the drawings sometimes. math can't overcome nature. lol. and if you are in need of a job from time to time, give me a holler. or if you know of a need where you work, give me a holler. dad needs the business.

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

just remember that it is different out in the field than it is in the books and on paper, ok?

You ain't kidding, Bama. I haven't had the heart yet to tell Bassin that what an undergraduate Engineering degree really proves is that you can take a beating for four years and still show up for work. I love how I spent all that time doing Fourier Analysis and 4th degree differential equations...and all the math I do now is wear out the plus, minus, multiply, and divide buttons on my calculator.

Yeah, you're right about residential construction...most of it is not Engineered like Commercial. In Commercial, the Engineer works for the Owner and things miraculously get built to spec. ! In residential, the Engineer works for the builder by way of a pre-designed set of drawings (if at all), and the Owner usually gets what the Builder gives him, unless he wants to play hardball.

Psssssst...let's not scare Bassin out of a career!

[BassinID]

I hear you bama, I have worked in construction for years. Grew up in a construction family, framed, concrete, and even ran a crew for one of the biggest companies in the west. I definitely know what you mean about being down to earth about it, its amazing the engineering calculations that go into the commercial, but i have been allowed to work through a bunch of residential calculations and noticed that very few differential equations or arch trigonometric calculations were involved

[bamabassman]

good to know bassinid. now you know what to do out there. been on both sides myself. 9-11 knocked me outta the game. dad is still going though, alone, but hanging in there. when you graduate, give me a holler. i'll give you his phone number and address and introduce you to him. he'll see about helping you out if you are interested. ok?

[BassinID]

Sounds great, I'm going Mechanical Eng, but I will let you know, I'm looking at fall 2010 for graduation, maybe spring 2011 though.