Yes, charcoal is less dense than water. This is why charcoal floats.

Here's why:

* Density is a measure of how much mass is packed into a given volume.

* Charcoal is a porous material with lots of air pockets. This means it has a relatively low mass for its volume.

* Water is a denser substance. It has more mass packed into the same volume compared to charcoal.

Since charcoal is less dense than water, it will float.