Images of the Ever Given container ship stuck in the Suez Canal have been ubiquitous over the past week. Less discussed is the physics behind the accident. Most probably the culprit is something called the bank effect, the tendency of the stern of a moving ship to swing towards the near bank when operating in a constricted waterway, influenced by a host of factors but preceded by a "yawing moment" as the bow moves laterally.
EconVue Spotlight - April 2021
EconVue Spotlight - April 2021
EconVue Spotlight - April 2021
Images of the Ever Given container ship stuck in the Suez Canal have been ubiquitous over the past week. Less discussed is the physics behind the accident. Most probably the culprit is something called the bank effect, the tendency of the stern of a moving ship to swing towards the near bank when operating in a constricted waterway, influenced by a host of factors but preceded by a "yawing moment" as the bow moves laterally.