Prelab: Buoyancy

Name: Date:
Group members: Instructor:

1. Archimedes principle dictates that if you submerge an object to a fluid, the fluid
level rises up, and the weight of the fluid displaced is equal to the buoyant force
experienced by the object. From this, and the definition of density (ρ = m
V
), derive
Equation 1 in the Introduction part of this manual. (5 pts.)

2. A 200 N block is tied to a string and suspended in water (ρ = 1000 kg/m3 ). If the
tension in the string is 120 N, what is the density of the block? (5 pts.)

Prelab: Buoyancy 1
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 EXPERIMENT
Buoyancy

Objectives

In this experiment, the student is expected to:

• obtain the density of fluids using the buoyant force experienced by an object com-
puted using its apparent weight while suspended in air and in water.

• calculate the density of irregularly shaped solid objects using the buoyant force.

Introduction

Experience dictates that when a big wave is coming your way while you swim in the beach,
you feel a strong force either pushing you out or pulling you back in the water. Needless
to say, you also find yourself floating in the sea much easier than in air, regardless if the
water is moving or static. This latter phenomenon is called buoyancy. In this experiment,
we shall use this concept to compute the density of fluids and objects.
In the year 212 BC, Archimedes of Syracuse first formulated that a submerged object in
a fluid weighs less by an amount equal to the weight of the displaced fluid. This is given
by the following equation:
FB = ρf gVsub (1)
where ρf is the density of the fluid, Vsub is the volume of the object that is submerged in
fluid, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. For liquids that are incompressible, such
as water and oil, the volume of the object submerged is equal to the volume of the liquid
displaced.
For a fully submerged object in an incompressible fluid,the density ρ = Vm sub
and the
volume displaced Vdisp = Vsub . Thus, its weight can be written in terms of the density of
the object ρ, g and Vsub :
W = ρgVsub (2)
so that dividing Equations 1 and 2, we get an expression for the density of the object in
terms of the density of the fluid, buoyant force and the weight of the object.
W
ρ= ρf (3)
FB
m
f
Equation 1 also dictates that if we write ρf = Vdisp , and noting that Vdisp = Vsub , the
buoyant force is just equal to the weight of the fluid displaced. To be able to obtain the

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1st Sem, A.Y. 2019–2020 Physics 71.1

Figure 1: Schematic diagram of an object (a) suspended in air and (b) partially submerged
in a fluid. For fluids that are incompressible, the volume submerged is equal to the volume
displaced.

Figure 2: Free body diagram of the object (a) suspended in air and (b) suspended in
water.

weight of the fluid displaced, we consider the free-body diagram as shown in Figure 2.
From the figure, we can deduce that the weight of the object is given by the tension in
the string when the object is suspended in air. Using the relation of the forces acting on
the object in Fig.2 (b), we find that:

FB = Tair − Tfluid (4)

In this experiment, we will be using Equation 1 to obtain the density of the fluid. After
which, we can use Equation 3 to calculate for the density of the objects.

Materials

The following materials are required for the experiment:

• Vernier Labquest

• Dual-range force sensor

• Stand

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Physics 71.1 1st Sem, A.Y. 2019–2020

• Clamp

• Graduated cylinder

• Beaker

• Water

• Fluid with unknown density

• Strings

• Slender masses (cylinders with diameters half of the graduated cylinder)

Procedure

Part 1: Setting-up the experiment

1. Attach the dual range force sensor in the stand using the clamp.

2. Tie a 20 cm string at the force sensor.

3. Connect the force sensor to the Vernier Labquest.

4. Calibrate the force sensor by setting the reading in the Vernier Labquest to zero.

Part 2: Determining the density of fluid

1. Fill the graduated cylinder with the fluid of unknown density up to 60 mL. The
fluid is to be given by the instructor.

2. Attach a mass at the other end of the string. Record the force sensor reading. This
gives you the weight of the mass.

3. Slowly lower the clamp so that the mass is submerged until the fluid displaced
reaches 3 mL. Record the force sensor reading under Tsub in Table 1.

4. Repeat step 7 in increments of 3 mL displaced fluid. That is, do 3 mL, 6mL, 9mL,
12 mL, while making sure that the object is not yet fully submerged.

5. Plot the buoyant force, FB versus the volume displaced, Vdisp and obtain the best-
fit equation of the line. Using the relation in Equation 1, calculate the density of
the fluid.

Part3: Determining the density of the object

1. Hook the mass with unknown density to the dual range force sensor and record the
reading while it is suspended in air under Tair .

2. Fill the graduated cylinder with the same fluid you used in part B up to 60 mL.

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1st Sem, A.Y. 2019–2020 Physics 71.1

3. Fully submerge the mass in the fluid. Record the tension in the string as shown by
the force sensor under Tsub .

4. Calculate the density of the object using Equation 3. Use your result in part A for
the fluid density.

5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 twice to obtain three trials.

6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 for other masses given.

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Physics 71.1 1st Sem, A.Y. 2019–2020

Name: Date:
Group members: Instructor:

Data Sheet

Table 1.1 Data for calculating the density of the fluid

Vdisp (mL) Tair (N) Tsub (N) FB (N)

Table 1.2 Density of the fluid

hρi (kg/L)
Relative deviation

Figure 3: Buoyant Force Vs. Volume submerged

Table 2.1 Density of object 1

Trials W or Tair (N) Tsub (N) FB (N) hρobj i(kg/L)
1
2
3

Table 2.1 Density of object 2

Trials W or Tair (N) Tsub (N) FB (N) hρobj i(kg/L)
1
2
3

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1st Sem, A.Y. 2019–2020 Physics 71.1

Table 2.1 Density of object 3

Trials W or Tair (N) Tsub (N) FB (N) hρobj i(kg/L)
1
2
3

Questions

Answer the following questions in no more than two sentences.

1. What assumptions about the object did you make to compute for its density?

2. What will happen to the calculated buoyant force if the object had internal cavi-
ties? What will happen to the calculated density? Will you get the correct density
of the material?

3. From the previous item, what if the object instead had external cavities (exposed
to the fluid)?