Objective

To establish the relationship between the loss in weight of a solid and weight of water displaced
when the solid is fully immersed in the following solutions:

• Tap water

• Strong salty water

This can be done by using at least two different solids in the experiment..

What does Archimedes' Principle state?

The Principle states that: “A body immersed in a liquid loses weight by an amount equal to the
weight of the liquid displaced.”

Archimedes principle also states that: “When a body is immersed in a liquid, an upward thrust,
equal to the weight of the liquid displaced, acts on it.”

Thus, when a solid is fully immersed in a liquid, it loses weight which is equal to the weight of
the liquid it displaces.

The more the density of liquid in which the solid is immersed, the less is the weight of the liquid
displaced on immersing the solid.

Does a body float?

Some bodies, if dropped in water, sink, such as a stone or a metallic needle. On the other hand,
some bodies, even of the same weight as that of those that sink, float on water. This can be
proved through the Laws of Flotation.

What does the Law of Flotation state?

A body will float if the weight of the body is equal to the weight of the liquid displaced.

If the weight of the immersed body is more than the weight of the water displaced, the body will
sink.

Materials Required:
500 ml of tap water
500 ml beaker of Salt water
500 ml of oil
Overflow can
250 ml overflow can
Iron stand
Wooden base
Weighing scale
Rectangular copper block
Spring balance

Procedure:
We’ll first prepare the strong salty water:

Take 400 ml of tap water in a 500 ml beaker, add some common salt to it and stir well. Go on
adding salt to the water and dissolve it by stirring the solution with a glass rod until some of the
salt remains undissolved in the beaker. Decant the strong (saturated) salty water and store for
further use.
Now to start:

1. Hang a spring balance on an iron stand using a clamp.

2. Note the least count of the spring balance.
3. Take one of the solid blocks (S1) and weigh it by hanging it on the hook of the spring balance
using a thread. Find the weight of the solid in air (Wa) and note it.
4. Take two beakers (each of 250 ml) and mark them as A and B. Weigh them on a balance
separately and note down the mass of beaker A and B.
5. Take an overflow can and fill it with water to the brim of the outlet and place beaker A below
the overflow outlet of the can to collect the displaced water. Now, start lowering the metallic
block (S1), still attached to the spring balance into the water of the overflow can.
6. Note the loss of weight of the metallic block as it gets completely immersed in the water.
Weigh beaker A which contains the displaced water and note the mass. To find the mass of the
water displaced, subtract the initial mass of beaker A (without displaced water) from the present
mass of the beaker A (containing displaced water).

Archimedes' Principle

7. Repeat the experiment using the metallic block S1 by completely immersing it in the strong
salty water in the overflow can. Note the loss in weight S1 by immersing it in the strong salt
solution. Find the mass of the salt solution displaced and collected in the beaker.
Observations:
• Weight of metallic block S1 in air = .................. g wt.

• Mass of empty beaker = ............ g.

• Weight of the block (S1) after immersed in solution = ................. g wt.

• New mass displayed in the digital balance = ................. g.

• Loss of weight of block in air = .............. g wt.

• Mass of water displaced (m) = ...................... g.

• Weight of solution displaced = m x g = ............ g wt.

Least count of the spring balance :

5 divisions = 25 g.wt

1 division = 25/5

=5 g.wt

Result:
1. The string used to hang the spring balance should have negligible weight.
2. The metallic block should be gradually immersed in water.
3. Reading of spring balance should be taken only when it is stable.
4. When immersing the metallic block in water, care should be taken that displaced water does
not spill.