Car tires are key to your safety on the road. Once the tire gets older though, you may be curious about what you can do with them and even whether the rubber in the tires can float. Car tires are made out of rubber, but they do have some other materials that come with them that help determine whether they will float or sink in water. So, do tires float? Today I will take a look at these factors to help determine whether your car tires will sink or float.
In this article, I’ll go through everything you need to know about whether tires float and why. Here’s an outline of this complete guide:
- Do Tires Float? (Answered)
- When Will a Tire Float?
- Do Tires Sink in the Water?
- What Are Flotation Tires?
- Will My Tires Help My Car Float?
- How to Dispose of a Tire
- Recycling the Tires
- Have a Scrapper Take Them
- Upcycle the Tire
- Final Thoughts: Do Tires Float?
Do Tires Float? (Answered)
Tires can float in water if they are placed horizontally, rather than vertically. A whole tire can trap both methane gas and air inside of it, which forces the tire to push back against the water when placed into a liquid. Since the pressure that is above the tire is slightly less than the pressure under it, the tire will eventually be able to rise to the surface.
The tire will need to be a full tire. If the tire is shredded, is not mounted on a rim, or there is a hole in it, the same principles will not apply.
It is the methane gas and the air around the tire that determines the pressure and helps it to float.
When Will a Tire Float?
There are several components of a tire that help make it more likely to float when put in water. In specific, the buoyancy and the density of the tire will help the tire float when put into the water.
The way the tire lands will make a difference.
Buoyancy is the ability of an object to float in water or another fluid. The density will be the degree of consistency measured through the quantity of mass per unit volume.
An object that has tightly packed molecules will be denser than one with loosely packed molecules.
For any object to float, it needs to have a lower density than the atmosphere you place it in. Since the tire is less dense than the water, it is likely to float, as long as the body of water is large enough to hold it.
For example, you will not see the tire float in a puddle, but it can float in the lake or a river.
Do Tires Sink in the Water?
A tire can sink based on how it is placed in the water. If you place the tire in an erect position, similar to how they sit on your vehicle, it will sink.
This is because there is minimal surface area touching the water at the time. If you place it horizontally, the tire will float.
Whether the tire is underinflated or well-inflated has no bearing on whether that tire is going to float or not. This is why it is best to just avoid areas that are flooding when driving.
Your car can still sink when there is an accident; the tires will not keep it floating.
What Are Flotation Tires?
It is possible to get flotation tires for your vehicle. These are going to be designed to float over loose sediment and sandy surfaces.
They are often used in the farm industry to help keep the farm equipment moving strong, no matter the type of material under the tire.
These tires are not going to allow the vehicle to float over water though. They’re meant to assist the vehicle when it is time to go off the road or there is some rocky and sandy terrain that the driver needs to navigate.
These tires will help the vehicle float and maneuver here better than traditional tires. The car will not be able to float on the water with them.
Will My Tires Help My Car Float?
While your tires can float in the water, they will not help your car to float. If you throw the full tire into the water, it will float just fine.
But the weight of the car takes away from what the tires can do and the car will sink straight to the bottom of the lake or river if it is in an accident.
How to Dispose of a Tire
There are different ways that you can properly dispose of a car tire when you are done using it. Never throw it into a lake or pond because it will just float around and is a form of littering.
Here are acceptable ways for you to get rid of your car tires:
Recycling the Tires
When your tires wear out and it’s time to buy tire replacements, you can ask the retailer to take your old ones and recycle them for you. This can cost a few dollars per tire, but it is more convenient than some of the other options.
Recycling facilities may take the tire or some towns will have a recycling day that will take the tires too.
Have a Scrapper Take Them
They may be willing to take more tires than your recycling company will.
Upcycle the Tire
You can utilize the tires to make a flower pot, sandbox, or another item around your home rather than throwing them out.
Final Thoughts: Do Tires Float?
The rubber in your car tires, along with the methane gas, will help to exert more pressure under the tire than above the tire, allowing it to float in the water.
It is important to note that the tire is going to float when it is placed horizontally into the water, rather than left upright like they are on your vehicle.
It’s unacceptable to throw tires in a lake or river. Instead, choose one of the ethical methods of tire disposal I talked about earlier.