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First one depends on the bowling ball. Most alleys have balls ranging from 7lb to 16lb, all the same volume, and the crossover point where they’d sink is 11.6lb.

If it was a floating bowling ball, the lake water level would stay the same when you toss it from a boat. If it were a sinking one, it would decrease.

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I think you're counting the overall sphere as the volume, but water would leak in through the finger holes so only their actual material counts. I suspect different weight bowling balls generally have different volumes.

Also if the lake is a mile deep it would pressure the ball more than the air do.

Bowling balls aren't hollow, they're solid spheres with finger holes drilled in. The varying weights comes from having weighted cores inside.

Oh OK thanks, I didn't realise. I just had some fun looking at bowling ball cross sections.

That's why the problem statement specifies that the bowling ball sinks.

Good point! I skimmed over that part, you’re right.

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