Displacement is a measure of what in a vessel afloat?

• A. The weight of water displaced, in long tons
• B. The vessel's maximum cargo weight
• C. The hull's volume
• D. The drafts at the midship

Answer: (A)

Displacement measures the weight of water the hull must push aside to float. According to Archimedes’ principle, a floating vessel displaces water with a weight exactly equal to the vessel’s own weight in that condition. That weight, usually expressed in long tons for ships in saltwater, is the displacement. It reflects buoyancy linked to the ship’s loaded condition, not its cargo capacity, hull volume, or the midship draft.