ICEBERGS
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An iceberg is a large block of ice which has broken from a glacier, and
is floating in open water.
In this investigation we will learn how to calculate the volume and
capacity of icebergs.
TIP OF THE ICEBERG
©iStockphoto
You have probably heard the expression “the tip of the iceberg”, which
means that something is only a very small part compared to the whole. This comes from the fact that only a
small part of an iceberg is visible above the surface.
This can make it difficult to determine the size of an iceberg. However, if we know what proportion of an iceberg
lies above the surface, we can use this to calculate the volume of the iceberg.
What to do:
1 Create an ‘iceberg’ by freezing a milk carton filled with water. Alternatively, to make your iceberg more
realistic, you could freeze a small plastic bag filled with water.
2 Measure the height of your iceberg.
height
3 Place the iceberg in a bucket of water. Use a ruler to measure the distance from the top of the iceberg to
the water level.
4 Based on your measurements, estimate the proportion of an iceberg which lies above the water level, and
the proportion which lies below the water level.
DISCUSSION
Would you expect this experiment to be an accurate representation of an iceberg in the ocean? List some factors
which may affect the accuracy of this representation.
You should have found that approximately
of it will be below the water level.
1
8
of an iceberg will sit above the water level, and approximately
7
8
We can use these proportions to estimate the volume of an iceberg if we know its dimensions above water level.
What to do:
5 Suppose the visible part of an iceberg has the shape of a cuboid, and is 40 m long, 30 m wide, and 20 m
high.
a Find the volume of the visible part of the iceberg.
b Hence, estimate the total volume of the iceberg.
DISCUSSION
Can you accurately determine the depth of the iceberg in 5?
Y:\HAESE\IB_MYP3\IB_MYP3_LN\009IB_MYP3_LN.cdr Friday, 13 June 2008 9:32:02 AM PETER
Icebergs
2
HARVESTING ICEBERGS
Around 70% of the world’s fresh water is locked up in the polar icecaps. It is therefore not surprising that a
proposed solution to water shortages is to melt and use the water contained in icebergs.
What to do:
6 The visible part of an iceberg is 25 m long, 20 m wide and 10 m high.
a Find the total volume of the iceberg.
b Estimate the potential capacity of fresh water located inside the iceberg (in megalitres).
To put such large amounts of water into perspective, they are often expressed in terms of how many Olympic
sized swimming pools they would fill. A standard Olympic sized swimming pool is 50 m long, 25 m wide and
2 m deep.
7
a Find the capacity of a standard Olympic sized swimming pool.
b Calculate how many Olympic sized swimming pools the iceberg in 6 would fill.
c The visible portion of an iceberg
forms the shape of a triangular prism
40 m
with dimensions as shown.
25 m
Estimate how many Olympic sized
swimming pools the water from this
16 m
iceberg would fill.
RESEARCH
² Research the problems associated with harvesting icebergs for fresh
water.
² Where did the name ‘iceberg’ come from?
² What is a ‘growler’, and where did this name come from?
² Where is Iceberg Alley?
Y:\HAESE\IB_MYP3\IB_MYP3_LN\012IB_MYP3_LN.cdr Friday, 13 June 2008 11:48:11 AM PETER