How does the submarine float and sink on the captains order?
There are two ways: The first is using the ballast tanks. They’re tanks that run along the side of the submarine that have valves connecting to the outside water. When the sub is on the surface, the tanks are filled with air. To dive, the air is vented out of the tanks and water floods in, reducing buoyancy. To surface again, compressed air is released into the tanks, forcing the water out, and increasing buoyancy again. The ballast tanks don’t require the sub to be moving – even if it is just sitting still, blowing the tanks will make it rise, and flooding the tanks will make it sink. The other way uses the bow planes. They’re the horizontal fins on the front of the sub. They work similar to a rudder, but instead of steering back and forth, they go up and down. Just like a boat has to be moving in order for the rudder to make it turn, the sub also has to move in order for the bow planes to take it up or down. Also, the sub needs to be at what’s called neutral buoyancy (the sub weighs
