A raft is constructed of wood having a density of 508.0 kg/m^3. The surface area of the bottom of the raft is 5.4 m^2, and the volume of the raft is...

The raft is
constructed of wood with a density 508.0 kg/m^3. And the volume of the raft is 0.55 m^3. This
gives the mass of the raft as 508.0*0.55 = 279.4 kg.

When the raft is placed
in fresh water with a density 1010.3 kg/m^3, it floats when the mass of the volume of water
displaced is equal to the mass of the raft. Let the bottom of the raft be M m below the water
level. The surface area of the bottom of the raft is 5.4 m^2. The volume of water displaced is
5.4*M

5.4*M*1010.3 = 279.4

=> M = 0.0512 m

The bottom of the raft has to be at a depth of 0.0512 m below the surface of the water
for the raft to be able to float.