The Archimedes Principle: Solving The Buoyant Force

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The Archimedes Principle
Although calculating the buoyant force in this way is always possible it is often very difficult. A simpler method follows from the Archimedes principle, which states that the buoyant force on an object immersed in a fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid displaces by the object. In other words, to calculate the buoyant force on an object we assume that the submersed part of the object is made of water and then calculate the weight of that water.

By “fluid displaced” we mean a volume of fluid equals to the submerged volume of the object (or that part of the object that is submerged). If the object is placed in a glass or tube initially filled to the brim water, the …show more content…

DISCUSSION
Archimedes Principle states that the body experiences a buoyant force equal to the weight of the displaced fluid when that body is immersed in a fluid. This principle applies in our daily life. The most common application of Archimedes Principle is the submarine. A submarine has a large ballast tank, which is used to control the submarine’s position and its depth from the surface of the sea. A submarine submerges by allowing water to flow into the large ballast tank so that its weight is bigger than the buoyant force.
Besides that, the hot air balloon is also a good example of Archimedes Principle. We all understand that the atmosphere is filled with air that exerts buoyant force on any object. A hot air balloon rises due to the buoyant force said. It descends when the weight of the balloon is greater than the buoyant force. The hot air balloon stays still in the air when the weight of the balloon equals the buoyant force.
Other than that, the hydrometer, which is an instrument to measure the relative density of liquids, practices the Archimedes Principle too. The hydrometer consists of a long tube with the bulb filled with lead at one end. This is to enable the hydrometer to float vertically in liquids. In a liquid of lower density, a higher volume of liquid must be displaced for the buoyant force to equal to the weight of the hydrometer so that it will sink lower. The hydrometer floats higher in a liquid …show more content…

Lastly, ship is also a good example of Archimedes Principle. A ship is able to float on the surface of the sea because the weight of water displaced by the ship equals to the weight of the ship. The reason why a ship is constructed in a hollow shape is to ensure that the ship is less dense than the sea water. Thus, the buoyant force acting on the ship is large to support the weight of the ship. However, the density of sea water varies. It is important to ensure that the load of the ship is always within the safety limit following the Plimsoll line marked on the body of the ship. For instance, a ship submerges lower in fresh water because fresh water is less

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