FORCES WITHIN LIQUIDS

What are the Critical Questions of Inquiry?

What is buoyant force?
How are forces in fluids related to density?
What is Archimedes’ Principle?

What are the Key Terms and explanations?

Mass density (ρ, Greek letter rho): ratio of mass to unit volume [density =
mass/volume]. ρ = m/v
physical property of matter, not
chemical one.

Helium (gas) 0.1787 kg/m3

Air (gas) 1.2929 kg/m3
fresh water (liquid) 1000 kg/m3
salt water (liquid) 1025 kg/m3 (depends on salinity -- % of
salt dissolved)
steam (gas) 0.59 kg/m3 at 1 atm
ice (solid) 917 kg/m3
gold (solid) 19,300 kg/m3
Universe (dark matter) 9.47 x 10-27 kg/m3 (critical density
universe)
buoyancy: tendency of an object to float in a fluid
Material that can flow, and thus has no
fluid: definite shape (liquids, gases and
plasma)
ideal fluid: Characterized by steady flow – density,
velocity, and pressure remain constant
Archimedes Principle: FBuoyant = Fweight,fluid = ρfluidvfluidg = mfluid·g
AKA Law of Buoyancy buoyant force = weight of displaced
fluid

WATCH TED-Ed Why does ice float in water? - George Zaidan and Charles Morton https://youtu.be/UukRgqzk-KE

What are the Supporting Questions and answers?

How is mass different from weight? Weight is a measure of the force
of gravity on mass. Matter is any
How does matter differ energy? material that has mass and takes
 up space (volume). Energy has no
mass – ability to do work or cause
change. Change solid to liquid to
Does mass change when matter changes gas to plasma.
shape?
It shouldn't! (Law of Conservation
of Matter). But how you changed
shape may erode off some mass
How do we measure density? (ie: hammer metal & some flakes
Volume□ = (length)(width)(height) off)
Volume○ = (4/3)(π)(radius3) Mass is measured in grams (kg).
Volume is measured in cubic
centimeters (m³). Thus, density of
any substance is given in
What is the density of gold? kilograms per cubic meter kg/m³
(or g/cm³).
How can you change density so something
floats? A one meter cube weighs 19,300
LAB DEMO: PhET Density Simulation kgs!
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/density
Either change the amount of mass
What is the buoyancy force? so it is lighter, or change the
volume so it is larger.

What is Archimedes principle? An upward directed force exerted

LAB DEMO: PhET Buoyancy Simulation
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/buoyancy
Law of Buoyancy
by a fluid on an object floating on
or submerged in the fluid
Any object completely or partially
submerged in a fluid experiences
an upward buoyant force equal to
the magnitude of the weight of the
displaced fluid.

Fnet = FBuoyant – Fweight of fluid

Since ρ = m/v, then m = ρ∙v
So if Fnet = mfluidg - mobjectg, then
Fnet = (ρdisplaced fluidvdisplaced fluid -
ρobjectvobject)g

WATCH: TED-Ed How taking a bath lead to Archimedes’ Principle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijj58xD5fDI

 What is the Main Idea answer?
A floating object cannot be denser than the fluid in which it floats!
The Law of Buoyancy is Archimedes principle: FBuoyant = Fweight,fluid = ρfluidvfluidg =
mfluid·g
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION & UPLOAD YOUR WORK ON
MANAGEBAC

Assessment criteria A: Knowing & Understanding

Forces within Fluids

1. The buoyant force is in which direction?

a. surrounding (the immersed object)
b. toward higher pressures
c. downward
d. upward

2. Why does ice float?

a. It has a lower density than water.
b. It has lower temperature but higher thermal energy than water.
c. It has a higher density than water.

3. In Figure, if the chunk of steel were cut in half and one of the pieces
were placed back in liquid water, how would act under the net force?
a. It would float almost entirely above the surface.
b. There is insufficient information to answer the question.
c. It would float mostly submerged.
d. It would sink to the bottom of the container.

4. According to Archimedes' principle, an object immersed in fluid has an upward

force on it equal to __________.
a. the weight of the object
b. the weight of the fluid displaced minus the weight of the object
c. the weight of the fluid displaced

5. How is mass different from weight? Explain

6. What is a buoyant force? (You can use an equation to support your answer)

7. What is Archimedes Principle, AKA Law of Buoyancy