Help! Container ships sail all over the world to deliver cargo from port to port. Even though such ships can weigh as much as 400,000 tons, they stay afloat because of the buoyant force exerted on them by the
water.
Below is a diagram of a container ship floating in the water. Its weight is represented by a downward
arrow and a negative number because the weight exerts a downward force on the boat. The buoyant
force of the water balances out the weight of the ship, so the ship can float. Describe an arrow that
would represent the buoyant force. What value should be associated with this arrow? Explain how this
situation relates to the concept of combining a number with its additive inverse.