MPI Buoyancy and Floatation Std 9

1. Archimedes Principle:
You already know the story of Archimedes. Archimedes principle has two parts. The first part
is already known to you. It is stated below. Let us understand both the parts completely.
1) When a solid object is immersed in a liquid, the liquid gets displaced. The volume of
the displaced liquid is same as the volume of that part of the object that is inside the
liquid.

In diagram 1 below the liquid level comes up by 200 ml which is volume of the immersed
part of the object. Volume of liquid displaced = 200 ml

2) The displaced liquid exerts a force on the immersed object. This force is called buoyant
force.

Observe diagram 2 above. We already know that the pressure inside a liquid is in all
directions, so at each tiny surface of the immersed part of object, the liquid will put a force
on the object. These forces are shown by the small red arrows. The horizontal components
of all these forces cancel each other and the net force is the buoyant force B which is shown
as the big red vertical arrow in the upward direction.

In the earlier topic we proved the formula of pressure difference = hdg. Using the same
method, (an imaginary stationary object made up of the liquid, surrounded by the outer
bulk of the liquid) it can be easily proved that:

Magnitude of the buoyant force is always equal to the weight of the displaced liquid.
Direction of buoyant force is always vertically upwards.

[Type text] Page 1 of 3

 2. Floatation:
Consider the object in above example. Suppose its weight is W. When it just touches the water
surface, hardly any liquid is displaced. So, the buoyant force is negligible. Net force = weight
W, so it must come downwards. As it comes more and more down, more and more liquid is
displaced and value of buoyant force increases. Weight W is unchanged. Consider diagram 2
above. Suppose, the buoyant force value is still less than weight i.e. B < W. Will the object
come down further? Yes, it will. As it goes down further (see diagram 3 below), suppose the
buoyance force increases to a value = B1 which is same as weight of the object.

Now, W = B1. Thus, the net force on the object = 0. The object will now neither come down,
nor go up. It will remain in that position and we say that the object floats.
Law of floatation states that if buoyant force on an object is equal to the weight of the object,
then the object floats.

Remember: W = it is force on object by the earth = weight of the whole object

B = buoyant force on object by liquid = weight of displaced liquid

W depends on: density of object and whole object volume

B depends on: density of liquid and immersed object volume

3. Floating Objects:
Consider material A (density da) and liquid L (density dl). An object is made of material
A. Think about various possibilities mentioned below.

1) The object is solid. If da < dl will the object float? Whether it floats or sinks; does it
depend on its size and shape?

2) The object is solid. If da > dl will the object float? Whether it floats or sinks; does it
depend on its size and shape?
3) The object is not solid i.e., there are some cavities in its shape. If da < dl will the object
float? Whether it floats or sinks; does it depend on its size and shape?

4) The object is not solid i.e., there are some cavities in its shape. If da > dl will the object
float? Whether it floats or sinks; does it depend on its size and shape?

5) The object is solid. If da = dl will the object float? Whether it floats or sinks; does it
depend on its size and shape
[Type text] Page 2 of 3
 4. Ships in Ocean
This explains why ships float. If it is made up of wood having density less than water density,
it has to float. However, a big modern ship is made of steel plates. But there is a lot of air inside
the ship. This air contributes to the volume of displaced liquid. The air has negligible mass as
compared to same volume of water. Hence a metal ship floats. A spoon sinks. But If we make
a metal bowl from same metal mass as that spoon, the metal bowl floats like a ship.

Class-work Problems:
1) Each side of a solid cube of wood (density of wood = 0.6 g/c) is 10 cm. It is put in water
(density 1 g/cc). Will it float or sink? If it floats with its top surface horizontal, how much
of the cube height will be inside water? (answer: It will float. 6 cm will be inside water)

2) Each side of a solid cube of plastic (density of plastic = 0.8 g/c) is 30 cm. It is put in water
(density 1 g/cc). Will it float or sink? If it floats with its top surface horizontal, how much
of the cube height will be inside water? (answer: It will float. 24 cm will be inside water)
3) A solid cuboid brick of plastic is of dimension 40 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm (density of plastic
= 0.4 g/c). It is put in water (density 1 g/cc). Will it float or sink? If it floats with its top
surface horizontal, how much of the brick height will be inside water? Consider all three
scenarios taking the height as 40 cm, 30 cm and 20 cm. (answer: It will float. Height
inside water will be 16 cm, 12 cm and 8 cm)

4) Each side of a solid cube of iron (density of iron = 8 g/c) is 7.3 cm. It is put in liquid tin
of density 2.8 g/cc. Will it float or sink? If it floats with its top surface horizontal, how
much of the cube height will be inside water? (answer: It will sink)

5) A cylinder of wood has height = 36 cm and density of wood = 0.7 g/c) is 36 cm. It is put
in oil (density 0.9 g/cc). Will it float or sink? If it floats with its axis vertical, how much
of the cylinder height will be inside oil? (answer: = Float. 28 cm)

6) Each side of a solid cube of plastic (density of plastic = 0.55 g/c) is 48 cm. It is put in a
liquid (density 0.8 g/cc). Will it float or sink? If it floats with its top surface horizontal,
how much of the cube height will be inside the liquid? (answer: = Float. 33 cm)

7) A hollow metal cylinder has closed circular bottom base of radius 4 cm and height 5 cm.
It is open at the top. Its mass is 62.8 g. Assume that the axis of the cylinder always remains
vertical and open side remains at top. Also, assume that the metal sheet used is extremely
thin. It is kept in water (density 1 g/cc), will it float or sink? How much of the cylinder
height will be above the water surface? Take π = 3.14 (answer: = Float. 3.75 cm)

[Type text] Page 3 of 3