# What Else Floats? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 13, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387 "2012-08-13T16:50:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/1 "2012-08-13T16:50:43Z")
[Monty Phython] 1. Lead, lead! 2. Very small [rocks](http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/10/world/asia/floating-pumice/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)? 3. A Church! [/Python] Apparently volcanic pumice – 10,000 square miles of rock, bobbing on the surface of the sea. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/2 "2012-08-13T17:00:15Z")
I was disappointed that none of it was in a chunk large enough to properly be called an island. A naturally occurring floating island that you could theoretically walk around on would be neat. Still, it’s a massive amount of _foamed_ rock, which is kind of impressive in itself–or, at least, my mental image of its formation is rather spectacular. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/3 "2012-08-13T17:05:12Z")
Boobs There’s a Jello-O recipe book (reproduced in one of James Lileks’ books) that lists fruitsand other goodies you might want to entomb in Joll-O from those which don’t (although Jell-O is, I recognize, more dense than water). A needle (if you do it carefully) > **[How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you. | ehow.com](https://www.ehow.com/)** > > Learn how to do just about everything at ehow. Find expert advice along with How To videos and articles, including instructions on how to make, cook, grow, or do almost anything. (and so, presumably, would _very small rocks_) Lithium, sodium, potassium, cesium, and lithium hydride. All while reacting with the water, releasing hydrogen, and then setting it on fire (actually, the LiH won’t) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/4 "2012-08-13T17:14:47Z")
Build a bridge out of it! ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/5 "2012-08-13T17:15:36Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Lithium, sodium, potassium, cesium, and lithium hydride. All while reacting with the water, releasing hydrogen, and then setting it on fire (actually, the LiH won’t) Can we really call that floating? It’s more like rocket propulsion. Nitpicks aside, dropping a tiny fragment of sodium in a styrofoam cup of water is fun. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/6 "2012-08-13T17:17:45Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > Can we really call that floating? It’s more like rocket propulsion. > > Nitpicks aside, dropping a tiny fragment of sodium in a styrofoam cup of water is fun. My grade school science teacher used to do that a couple of times a year as a ‘reward’ for us. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/7 "2012-08-13T17:31:48Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > Can we really call that floating? It’s more like rocket propulsion. > > Nitpicks aside, dropping a tiny fragment of sodium in a styrofoam cup of water is fun. Nope – it’s floating. all of those are less dense than water. If it were reaction, the metal could be reacting under water and possibly shooting in different directions.\* It’s not the reaction products that are keeping the alkali metals out of water, it’s the low density. Try strapping the alkali metal to something dense, like someone who’s not a witch, and see that it doesn’t float. ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/8 "2012-08-13T17:34:04Z")
Root beer ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/9 "2012-08-13T17:41:28Z")
> [@Docta\_G](#): > > Root beer It doesn’t float, the ice cream floats. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/10 "2012-08-13T17:49:02Z")
Cesium won’t float (in water). Its density is 1.87 g/mL. Cool stuff, though. Its color is like gold’s, which makes it one of the three oddly colored metals. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/11 "2012-08-13T17:59:34Z")
We all float down here! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/12 "2012-08-13T18:06:29Z")
Bodies, if you don’t weigh them down right. Not that I know anything about that. Uh…yeah. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/13 "2012-08-13T18:11:13Z")
I can’t believe I’m the first to mention the irony of a thread about things that float being started buy a guy (gal?) named **Sailboat.** ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/14 "2012-08-13T19:57:33Z")
Hope! ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/15 "2012-08-13T20:04:18Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Nope – it’s floating. all of those are less dense than water. Huh? Sodium is about twice as dense as water. > **[Google](https://www.google.com/webhp?rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS400&sourceid=chrome-instant&ie=UTF-8&ion=1#hl=en&sugexp=les%3Beqn%2Ccconf%3D1.0%2Cmin_length%3D2%2Crate_low%3D0.025%2Crate_high%3D0.025%2Csecond_pass%3Dfalse%2Cnum_suggestions%3D2%2Cignore_bad_origquery%3Dtrue&gs_nf=1&tok=Q7bKC52Colf9gYWNVtB7jw&cp=17&gs_id=d&xhr=t&q=density+of+sodium&pf=p&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS400&biw=849&bih=792&sclient=psy-ab&oq=density+of+sodium&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=dda7f10f8fe32635&ion=1)** > > Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/16 "2012-08-13T20:12:38Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > Huh? Sodium is about twice as dense as water. > > [Google](https://www.google.com/webhp?rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS400&sourceid=chrome-instant&ie=UTF-8&ion=1#hl=en&sugexp=les%3Beqn%2Ccconf%3D1.0%2Cmin_length%3D2%2Crate_low%3D0.025%2Crate_high%3D0.025%2Csecond_pass%3Dfalse%2Cnum_suggestions%3D2%2Cignore_bad_origquery%3Dtrue&gs_nf=1&tok=Q7bKC52Colf9gYWNVtB7jw&cp=17&gs_id=d&xhr=t&q=density+of+sodium&pf=p&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS400&biw=849&bih=792&sclient=psy-ab&oq=density+of+sodium&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=dda7f10f8fe32635&ion=1) Sodium floats in water. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ODf_sPexS2Q/hqdefault.jpg "Sodium in Water") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODf_sPexS2Q) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/17 "2012-08-13T20:20:05Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > Huh? Sodium is about twice as dense as water. > > [Google](https://www.google.com/webhp?rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS400&sourceid=chrome-instant&ie=UTF-8&ion=1#hl=en&sugexp=les%3Beqn%2Ccconf%3D1.0%2Cmin_length%3D2%2Crate_low%3D0.025%2Crate_high%3D0.025%2Csecond_pass%3Dfalse%2Cnum_suggestions%3D2%2Cignore_bad_origquery%3Dtrue&gs_nf=1&tok=Q7bKC52Colf9gYWNVtB7jw&cp=17&gs_id=d&xhr=t&q=density+of+sodium&pf=p&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS400&biw=849&bih=792&sclient=psy-ab&oq=density+of+sodium&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=dda7f10f8fe32635&ion=1) Your reference says that sodium has 0.97 the density of water. > [@](#): > > It’s a soft metal, reactive and with a low melting point, with a relative density of 0,97 at 20ºC (68ºF ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/18 "2012-08-13T20:22:02Z")
A very important point about this is that floating pumice islands could have transported life forms across oceans and been a significant factor in the particular path that evolution has followed. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/19 "2012-08-13T20:27:33Z")
You know those big things in parades that look like something weird and people stand on? Those are really poorly named. I’m banned from Macy’s for life. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387/20 "2012-08-13T20:43:52Z")
Anything that displaces enough water floats. Here are concrete ships: [Concrete ship - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_ship) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-floats/631387.md?page=2)