How can one get lead to float? Assume it is in a lump, not made into a boatlike shape, nor carried in a boatlike device.

well, one new one plus a reiteration of one that's already been posted...

1. By introducing air bubbles into the lump of lead you get a solid lead foam blob which will float in water.  We get bunches of 'moon rocks' in this part of Michigan which I'm told are run-off from some of the metal refineries in Michigan City and Gary Indiana.  They look just like rock, but they float.  I'm certain the same could be done with lead.

2. In a sufficiently large body of water, you could introduce a sufficiently large sheet of lead (flat, not in a boat shape) so that the water underneath the sheet could not move out from under the sheet, and the sheet would essentially be floating on top of the water.

Posted by Erik on 2004-06-02 11:16:56