A ship will float even though it may be made of steel -LRB- which is much denser than water -RRB- , because it encloses a volume of air -LRB- which is much less dense than water -RRB- , and the resulting shape has an average density less than that of the water .

A ship floats because although it is made of steel which is more dense than water , it encloses a volume of air and the resulting shape has an average density less than that of the water .
