As the load comes out of the water, loading on the crane will:

• A. Decrease
• B. Increase
• C. Stay the same
• D. Fluctuate

Answer: (B)

Buoyancy determines how hard the crane must work when lifting a submerged load. Water pushes up on the load with a force equal to the weight of the water it displaces. When the load is in the water, this buoyant force offsets part of the load’s weight, so the crane feels less than the full weight. As you lift it upward, the amount of water displaced by the load decreases, buoyancy drops, and the crane must carry more of the load. Once the load is fully out of the water, buoyancy disappears and the crane bears essentially the full weight. So the load on the crane increases as the load comes out of the water. There may be brief transient fluctuations during the transition, but the overall trend is upward.