4

Buoyancy and Floatation

4.1 INTRODUCTION
If a body is placed over a liquid either the body sinks in the liquid or floats on the liquid,
depending on following two forces:
(i) Gravitational force [acts downwards due to weight of the body].
(ii) Upward force exerted by the fluid on the body.
These two forces must be collinear, equal and opposite for equilibrium to be
maintained. If upward force is equal to the weight of the body, the body will float on
the liquid. If upward force is less than the weight of body, the body will sink in the
liquid.
Following three cases are possible depending on the ratio of the weight (W) of
the body and the buoyant force FB.
W
1. If F > 1 i.e., W > FB ; the body tends to move downwards and eventually sinks.
B

W
2. If F = 1 i.e., W = FB ; the body floats and is only partially submerged.
B

W
3. If F < 1 i.e., W < FB ; the body is lifted upward and rises to the surface.
B

4.2 BUOYANCY OR BUOYANT FORCE

If a body is fully or partly submerged in a fluid, the vertical upward force acting on
the body is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body (Fig. 4.1). The
upward vertical force (FB) is known as force of buoyant or buoyancy or buoyant

© The Author(s) 2023 159

S. Kumar, Fluid Mechanics (Vol. 1),
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99762-5_4
160 Fluid Mechanics

force.

W
G
B
G B
FB

FB

(a) Fully submerged body (b) Partly submerged body.

Fig. 4.1: Bouyancy of fully and partly submerged bodies.

Buoyant force: F B = weight as liquid displaced by the body
= mg
where m = mass of liquid displaced by the body
= ρ∀
∴ F B = ρg∀
where ∀ = volume of liquid displaced by the body (Fig. 4.2).
ρ = density of the liquid

∀ ∀
(a) Fully submerged body, volume of (b) Partly submerged bodies,
liquid (∀) is equals to the volume volume of liquid (∀) is equal to
of the whole body. the volume of the body
submerged in liquid.

Fig. 4.2: Volume of liquid displaced by the body (∀).

For the equilibrium of the body; we have
Buoyant force = weight as the body
F B = Mg
where M = mass of the body
= ρbV
F B = ρbgV
where ρ b = density of the body