3.

5 Applying
Archimedes’ Principle

Learning Outcome:
 Explain buoyant force,
 Relate buoyant force to the weight of liquid displaced,
 State Archimedes’ principle,
 Describe applications of Archimedes’ principle,
 Solve problems involving Archimedes’ principle.
 Lesson
1
Idea of buoyancy

observation :
The fishing net is more difficult to pull when more
of the net is out of the water surface.
Why ?

Buoyant force is smaller when the net is less

immersed into the water .
 Buoyant force
Top surface
Pressure = P1, area = A
F1
Force, F1 = P1A
(acting downward)
Bottom surface
Pressure = P2, area = A
Force, F2 = P2A
F2 (acting upward)
P2 is greater than P1
hence F2 is greater than F1

The net upward force F2- F1 is known as buoyant force

Volume of fluid displaced
Volume of object
is equal to
volume of fluid
displaced

If an object is placed in the container, some

water will overflow.
Liquid is displaced by the object.
 Buoyant force

Object above The deeper the object is, the

the water level. more liquid displaced, and
No buoyant the stronger the buoyant force
force
Hands-on activity 3.6 pg 61
Aim : To understand buoyant force.
Observation :
Weight of stone in air, Weight of stone in water,
W1 / N W2 / N

Discussion :
1. W2 is less than W1. When an object is
immersed in water, the weight becomes lighter.
2. The value of the buoyant force
= Weight in air – weight in water = ???
 Lesson
Idea – factors affecting 2

buoyant force

Big
buoyant
force
Heavy ferry made of
steel plates can float.

Do you Small
know why ? buoyant A block of
force steel sink.
Archimedes’s Principle
The relationship between buoyant force
and weight of the fluid displaced was first
discovered in the third century BC by the
Greek scientist Archimedes. It is stated
as follows :
When an object is wholly or partially
immersed in a fluid, it experiences a
buoyant force equal to the weight of the
fluid displaced.
A brief history
 1 King of
Sicily 2

Goldsmith

3 4

Archimedes
 5 6

An immersed
body is
buoyed up by
a force equal
to the weight
7 of the fluid
After this, Archimedes investigate the relationship displaced.
between buoyant force and the weight of fluid displaced
Experiment 3.1 pg 62
Data
Weight of plasticine in air , Wa /N
Weight of plasticine in water,Ww /N
Weight of empty beaker Wo / N
Weight of beaker plus displaced water ,W1/N

Buoyant
Analysis of Data:
force
Apparent loss in weight of the plasticine = Wa – Ww
Weight of water displaced =W1- Wo
 Lesson
3
Factors affecting buoyant force
Buoyant force = weight of liquid displaced
Archimede
= mg s Principle

= Vg Buoyant
Volume of
force Density of the
fluid
fluid, 
displaced,V
A denser liquid exerts
A larger volume of the a larger buoyant force.
object submerged in
the fluid will
experience a larger Gravitational
buoyant force. field strength ,
g
Buoyant force = weight of fluid displaced
(for all cases)
F F

floating F

W
W

W
Totally Partially Immersed just
immersed submerged under water surface
Weight of object Weight of object Weight of object
is greater than is equal to is equal to
buoyant force buoyant force buoyant force

Object is denser Object is less Density of object =

than fluid dense than fluid density of fluid
Worked example (Exploring pg 189)
A block of wood with a density of 25000 kg m-3 and
a mass of 0.3 kg is immersed in a liquid of
density 15000 kg m-3. Calculate the buoyant
force acting on the block of wood.
solution

Volume of liquid displaced Buoyant = weight of liquid

force displaced
= volume of wooden block
= Mass
density = Volume x density x g
= 0.3 = 1.2 x 10-5 x1.5x104 x 10
25000
= 1.8 N
= 1.2 x 10-5 m3
Worked example (Exploring pg 189)
A stone weighs 2.5 N. When it is fully submerged in
a solution, its apparent weight is 2.2 N. Calculate
the density of the solution if its volume displaced
by the stone is 25 cm3. [ g= 9.8 N kg-1]

solution Buoyant force = 0.3 N

Buoyant = weight of solution

force displaced
= Volume x density x g
0.3 = (25 x10-6)x x 9.8
 = 1224 kg m-3
25cm-3
Applications of Archimedes’ Principle

Hydrometer – to determine the density of

liquid Which liquid
is denser ?
Weight of hydrometer
= weight of liquid
displaced Liquid A Liquid B

A denser liquid has a Lead

smaller volume shots
displaced.
Liquid A is denser
than liquid B.
Applications of Archimedes’ Principle
Ship – To ensure a ship is loaded within
safe limit.
Ship can float because the volume of water
displaced is sufficiently large and buoyant
force is equal to the weight of ship.

A ship will submerged deeper in fresh

water because the density of fresh water
is less than sea water. To ensure a ship
is loaded within
safe limits, the
Plimsoll line
marked on the
body of the ship
acts as a guide.
 View video

Applications of Archimedes’ Principle

Hot air balloon – To rise and float a hot air

A hotballoon
air balloonin the air.a large
displaces
volume of air.

The balloon ride upwards when buoyant

force is greater than its weight.

The balloon descends when the buoyant

force is less than its weight.

The balloon remains stationary in the air

when buoyant force is equal to its weight.
 View video

Applications of Archimedes’ Principle

Submarine – to control the sinking and
rising of submarine
Submarine rises by forcing
compressed air into the ballast tank

Submarine dives by
admitting water into the
ballast tank
SUMMARY
1.When an object is immersed in liquid or
gas, it experiences a buoyant force.
2. buoyant force =apparent loss in weight
3. Buoyant force = weight of fluid displaced.
= Vg
where V = volume of fluid displaced
 = density of fluid

4. When an object is floating,

buoyant force =weight of the object.
Evaluation
A

true

It is also equal to
the buoyant
force
 Evaluation

A
B
C
Evaluation

D
Home work

Mastery Practice 3.5

pg 100

Worksheet 3.5