displacement

Displacement is a fundamental concept in ship design, rooted in Archimedes' principle. This principle states that a floating object displaces a volume of water equal in weight to its own weight. Therefore, a ship's total weight, comprising its structure, machinery, cargo, and supplies (known as deadweight and lightship weight), must be balanced by the weight of the water it displaces. Naval architects calculate this total weight, referred to as displacement, to determine the ship's draft, or how deep it will sit in the water. This process is crucial in the early stages of design to predict the necessary size of the vessel.12