Are elephants lighter in water when they swim across deep rivers?

do elephants actually swim? my 13 y.o told me that they are light in water and the flatness of their feet makes them swim faster..he mentioned the km/hr..but is this true as to me it is hard to believe!! please explain?

Are elephants lighter in water when they swim across deep rivers?
well most of the time they just submerge themselves and have their trunks above water to breath.. but if the water is denser they can still float since they can contain air inside them which allows them to do so
Reply:Yes, it's true elephants can swim. They are the same weight in water whether it's deep or shallow. (As long as they can float they displace the same amount of water.) Their fat level probably make them float better (leaner body weight floats less).


Don't know about the flatness of feet helping .. they're probably good swimmers because they are so powerful.
Reply:Technically, they do weigh less; however, their mass remains the same.





Weight is determined by the force of gravity acting in a downward direction. Since the water would buoy the elephant up some, this would counteract some of gravity's force; therefore, making the elephant weigh less. How much the water buoys the elephant up will vary from elephant to elephant.





If you want to argue if the elephant weighs less (or might even be weightless) in water, why do astronauts train in a swimming pool at NASA to get experience in weightless environments?





Yes, elephants can swim. Like most land animals, they are not very efficient swimmers.
Reply:Yes elephants can swim. No they don't weigh less in water no matter how deep it is.
Reply:everything seems lighter in water, just look at boats. buoyancy
Reply:yes they can swim!


weight doesn't change in or out of water.