Properties of Fluids: Buoyancy

Glenda A. Abejuela
Course Professor, Sci 1Ed 2
BUOYANCY
• BUOYANCY = the ability to float in a fluid.
• BUOYANT FORCE = the upward force that acts on a submerged
object. It acts opposite of gravity. The buoyant force works
opposite the weight of an object.

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Weight of the Object Which one is easier to pick up?
Why?

The bigger force

Buoyant Force wins, so the block
sinks 3
 ARCHIMEDES’ PRINCIPLE
▪ The buoyant force acting on a submerged object is equal to the weight of the fluid
the object displaces.
▪ Archimedes' Principle states that when an object is totally or partially immersed
in a fluid, it experiences an upthrust equal to the weight of the fluid displaced.
▪ It is most frequently applied to the behavior of objects in water, and helps to
explain floating and sinking, and why objects seem lighter in water. It also applies
to balloons or any objects in the air.
The key word in the principle is “upthrust” (or buoyant force),
which refers to the force acting upward to reduce the actual
weight of the object when it is under water.

for example, a metal block with a volume of 100 cm3 is dipped

in water, it displaces an equal volume of water, which has a
weight of approximately 1 N. The block therefore seems to
weigh about 1 N less. 4
Who is ARCHIMEDES?
• Archimedes (287-212 BC), pre-eminent Greek mathematician and
inventor, who wrote important works on plane and solid geometry,
arithmetic, and mechanics.

• "Archimedes",Microsoft« Encarta« Encyclopedia 2001. ⌐ 1993-2000

Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

The crown-maker makes a crown for the king. Archimedes

weighs the crown and determines that its weight in air is 5.54
N and that its weight in water is 5.05 N. Should the crown-
maker maker be paid or ???

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The King must know: is his crown true gold?

The crown-maker makes a crown for the

king. Archimedes weighs the crown and
determines that its weight in air is 5.54 N
and that its weight in water is 5.05 N.
Should the crown-maker maker be paid or

Off with his head!!

Get the mass from Get the volume from

W = T1 = mg ( T1 - T2 ) = V(ρwater g)

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 Archimedes' Principle
Hmm! The crown seems lighter under water!

The buoyant force on a submerged

object is equal to the weight of the
liquid displaced by the object. For
water, with a density of one gram
per cubic centimeter, this provides
a convenient way to determine the
volume of an irregularly shaped
object and then to determine its
density

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Archimedes’ Principle: An object completely immersed in a fluid experiences an
upward buoyant force equal in magnitude to the weight of fluid displaced by the
object.

Buoyant Force When a Volume V is

Submerged in a Fluid of Density ρfluid
Fb = ρfluid gV

Q: Does buoyant force

depend on depth?
a) yes
b) no

The BF does not depend on the overall depth of the object

submerged as long as the object is fully
immersed/submerged, bringing it to a deeper and deeper
depth will not change the BF
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Sinking and Floating Objects

The reading of The reading of

spring balance is 2.7 N spring balance is 1.7 N
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Sinking and Floating Objects

What is the reading of spring balance

if the wood is attached to it ? ZERO
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• Buoyant Force on an object immersed in a liquid equals the weight of
the liquid displaced and the weight of the object if it floats.

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 Will it float or sink?

The diet coke floats & the

regular sinks.

• Why does the diet float??

• Regular soda contains
39 grams of sugar.
• Diet coke contains
100 mg of Nutra-
sweet.
• More "stuff" (matter)
• Write down 2 similarities between these two cans. is crammed into the
• Write down 2 differences. same amount of space,
• Predict what happens when a can of regular coke or VOLUME, and that
and a can of diet coke are to be placed in a increases the MASS.
container with regular tap water?
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An object floats An object sinks
CAUSES: CAUSES:
• Weight is less than the buoyant • Weight is greater than the buoyant
force. force.
• Object is less dense than the fluid • Object is denser than the fluid
• Object decreases its mass and • Object increases its mass and
becomes less dense than the fluid. becomes denser than the fluid.
• Object increases its volume and • Object decreases its volume and
becomes denser than the fluid. becomes denser than the fluid.
Buoyant force = weight  the object floats and stationary
Buoyant force > weight  the object moves up
Buoyant force < weight  the object moves down
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 Hot air balloon
1. rises upwards
(Upthrust > Weight of hot air (helium gas) +
weight of airship fabric + weight of gondola +
weight of passengers.)( balloon expand)
2. descends
(Upthrust < Weight of hot air (helium gas) +
weight of airship fabric + weight of gondola +
weight of passengers.)(balloon shrinks)
3. stationary
(Upthrust = Weight of hot air (helium gas) +
weight of airship fabric + weight of gondola +
weight of passengers.)( balloon size
unchanged)
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If ballast tanks empty Upthrust > weight  submarine rises to surface
If ballast tanks full  Upthrust < weight  submarine sinks to bottom

SUBMARINE

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From Archimedes Principle :
Buoyant Force= Weight of fluid displaced
= mg (note : F = ma)
= Vg (note :  = m )
V
Thus FB = Vg
Where ……
FB = Buoyant Force or Upthrust
 = Density of fluid
V = Volume of fluid displaced or
the volume of the object that immersed in the fluid.

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A concrete slab weighs 180N. When it is fully submerged under the
sea its apparent weight is 105N. Calculate the density of the sea
water if the volume of the sea water displaced by the concrete
slab is 4800 cm3.
Solution :
Buoyant force = actual weight – apparent weight
= 180 – 102 = 72N
According to Archimedes' principle
Buoyant force = weight of sea water displaced
Therefore,
𝑭 𝟕𝟐𝑵
𝑭 = 𝝆𝑽𝒈 𝒔𝒐 𝝆 = =
𝑽𝒈 (𝟒.𝟖𝒙𝟏𝟎‫𝟗()𝟑𝒎𝟑־־‬.𝟖𝒎/𝒔𝟐)
𝟕𝟐𝑵
= = 1530.61 kg/m3
𝟒.𝟕𝟎𝟒𝒙𝟏𝟎‫ 𝒎 ־‬/𝒔
𝟐 𝟒 𝟐

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• A 30 kg balloon is filled with 100 m3 of H. How much
net Force is needed to hold it down?
Density of air = 1.3 kg/ m3
density of H = 0.09 kg/ m3

Net F = BF – W = Vg (ρ of air – ρ of H) – mg = 891.8 N

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