Capsize

High school (ages 12+)
Safety & Emergency

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/capsize

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is a capsize?A capsize is when a boat flips over because it loses its stability and starts to fill with water.
2. Why does a boat flip over?It flips when the forces that tilt it—like wind, waves, or moving cargo—become stronger than the boat’s ability to right itself, so the center of gravity goes above the center of buoyancy.

Hydrostatics: The study of fluids at rest, including forces acting on submerged and floating bodies.
Metacentric Height (GM): A measure of initial stability; a larger GM generally indicates greater stability.
Free Surface Effect: The destabilizing influence of liquid sloshing in partially filled tanks or compartments.