ENGGPHYS: FN-MODULE-2 P.

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BOUYANCY
ARCHIMEDES’ PRINCIPLE
A principle discovered by the Greek scientist Archimedes that states that
“any body immersed in a fluid is acted upon by an upward force (buoyant force) equal to the weight of
the displaced fluid.”

Wbody
Wbody

BF BF

Partially displaced/submerged body Fully displaced/submerged body

𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑧𝑒𝑟𝑜:

∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 0
𝑾𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 = 𝑩𝑭

𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑛,
𝑩𝑭 = 𝜸𝒍𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑽𝑫 & 𝑾 = 𝜸𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝑽𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚

where:
Wobject = total weight of the body/object
BF = buoyant force – the net upward force acting on the body
γ = specific weight of fluid
VD = Volume displaced/submerged (volume of body below the liquid’s surface

For homogeneous body floating on a homogeneous liquid, the volume displaced is:
𝜸𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝑺𝑮𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚
𝑽𝑫 = 𝑽= 𝑽
𝜸𝒍𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝑺𝑮𝒍𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅

Sample Problems:

1. A stone weighs 105 lb in air. When submerged in water, it weighs 67 lb. Find the
stone’s:
a. volume, and
b. specific gravity.

Given: Weight of stone = 105 lb

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 ENGGPHYS: FN-MODULE-2 P.3 2

Weight of stone in water = 67 lb

Sol’n:
Bouyant Force, BF = 105 lb – 67 lb
BF = 38 lb

a) 𝐵𝐹 = 𝛾𝑉𝐷
𝐵𝐹 = 𝛾𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑉𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒
𝑙𝑏
38 𝑙𝑏 = 62.4 (𝑉𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒 )
𝑓𝑡 3

𝑽𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆 = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟎𝟗 𝒇𝒕𝟑

𝑊𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒
b) 𝛾𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒 = 𝑉𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒
105 𝑙𝑏
𝛾𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒 = 0.609 𝑓𝑡 3
𝜸𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆 = 𝟏𝟕𝟐. 𝟒𝟏𝟒 𝒍𝒃/𝒇𝒕𝟑

𝛾𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒
𝑆𝐺𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒 = 𝛾𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
172.414 𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡 3
𝑆𝐺𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒 = 62.4 𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡 3
𝑺𝑮𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆 = 𝟐. 𝟕𝟔𝟑

2. The can in the figure floats in the position shown. What is its weight in N?

3 cm
Given: Water
γ = 9810 N/m3
SG = 1
8 cm D = 9 cm
Water
Height submerged = 8 cm
Height above the water = 3 cm
D = 9 cm Length of can = 11 cm

Req’d: Weight in N = ?
Wcan

Sol’n: 3 cm

𝑊 = 𝐵𝐹
𝑊 = 𝛾𝑉𝐷
𝜋 8 cm
𝑊 = (𝛾) [( 4 𝐷 2 ) (ℎ 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑑)] Water

𝑁 𝜋
𝑊= (9810 𝑚3 ) ( 4 ) (0.09 𝑚)2 (0.08 𝑚)
D = 9 cm
𝑾 = 𝟒. 𝟗𝟗𝟑 𝑵
BF

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 ENGGPHYS: FN-MODULE-2 P.3 3

3. An iceberg has specific gravity of 0.9 when floating in sea water (sp. gr. = 1.03). If the
volume of the ice above the water surface is 1000 cu. m., what is the total volume of
the ice?
Wice
Given: SGice = 0.9 Iceberg, SG = 0.92

SGseawater = 1.03
Vexposed = 1000 m3
Vexposed = 1000 m3
VD = Vice – 1000
Vsubmerged

Req’d: Vice = ?

Seawater, 1.03
Sol’n:
BF
𝑊 = 𝐵𝐹
𝛾𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑉 = 𝛾𝑆𝑊 𝑉𝐷
𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑁
0.92 (9.81 ) (𝑉𝑖𝑐𝑒 ) = 1.03 (9.81 ) (𝑉𝑖𝑐𝑒 − 1000𝑚3 )
𝑚3 𝑚3
𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒆 = 𝟗𝟑𝟔𝟑. 𝟔𝟑𝟔 𝒎𝟑

4. Archimedes, when asked by King Hiero if the new crown was pure gold (SG = 19.3),
found the crown weight in air to be 11.8 N and in water to be 10.9 N. Was it gold?

Given: SGgold = 19.3

Wcrown = 11.8 N
Wcrown in water = 10.9 N

Req’d: Is the crown made of gold?

Sol’n:
To check if the crown is made of gold, our condition should be:
𝑆𝐺𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 = 𝑆𝐺𝑔𝑜𝑙𝑑

𝐵𝐹 = 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 − 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

𝐵𝐹 = 11.8 𝑁 − 10.9 𝑁
𝑩𝑭 = 𝟎. 𝟗 𝑵

𝐵𝐹 = 𝛾𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑉𝐷
𝑉𝐷 = 𝑉𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 (crown fully submerged)
0.9 𝑁 = 9810 𝑁/𝑚3 (𝑉𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 )
𝑽𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 = 𝟗. 𝟏𝟕𝟒𝟑𝟏 𝒙 𝟏𝟎−𝟓 𝒎𝟑

𝑊 = 11.8 𝑁
𝛾𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑉𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 = 11.8 𝑁
𝑁
𝑆𝐺𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 (9810 𝑚3 ) (9.17431 𝑥 10−5 𝑚3 ) = 11.8 𝑁
𝑺𝑮𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 = 𝟏𝟑. 𝟏𝟏𝟏 ∴ 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒍𝒅.

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 ENGGPHYS: FN-MODULE-2 P.3 4

5. A piece of yellow pine wood (SG=0.65) is 5 cm by 5 cm square and 2.2 m long. How
many newtons of lead (SG = 11.4) should be attached to submerged end of the wood
so that it will float vertically with 30 cm out of the water?
Given: SGwood = 0.65
5 cm SGlead = 11.4
5 cm Lwood = 2.2 m
Lwood exposed = 0.3 m
0.3 m
Req’d: Wlead in N = ?
Wood

Water
2.2m
SG = 1

Lead

Sol’n:
Wwood
5 cm By taking the summation of the vertical forces, we
have:
5 cm 𝑊𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 + 𝑊𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 = 𝐵𝐹𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 + 𝐵𝐹𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑
0.3 m
𝑊𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 = 𝛾𝑉
𝑁
𝑊𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 = 0.65 (9810 𝑚3 ) (0.05 𝑐𝑚)(0.05 𝑐𝑚)(2.2 𝑚)
Wood

𝑾𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒅 = 𝟑𝟓. 𝟎𝟕𝟎𝟕𝟓 𝑵

2.2m 2.2m – 0.3 m 𝑁

= 1.9 m
𝑊𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 = 11.4 (9810 𝑚3 ) (𝑉𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 )
BFwood
𝑾𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟒 (𝑽𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 )
Wlead

𝐵𝐹𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 = 𝛾𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑉𝐷
𝑁
Lead 𝐵𝐹𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 = (9810 𝑚3 ) (0.05 𝑐𝑚)(0.05 𝑐𝑚)(1.9 𝑚)
𝑩𝑭𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒅 = 𝟒𝟔. 𝟓𝟗𝟕𝟓 𝑵
BFlead

𝐵𝐹𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 = 𝛾𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑉𝐷

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 ENGGPHYS: FN-MODULE-2 P.3 5

𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑛, 𝑉𝐷 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 = 𝑉𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑑

𝐵𝐹𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 = 𝛾𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑉𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑
𝑵
𝑩𝑭𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 = (𝟗𝟖𝟏𝟎 𝒎𝟑) 𝑽𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅

𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑠:

𝑊𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 + 𝑊𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 = 𝐵𝐹𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 + 𝐵𝐹𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑
𝑁
35.07075 𝑁 + 111834 (𝑉𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 ) = 46.5975 𝑁 + (9810 𝑚3 ) 𝑉𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑
𝑁
111834 (𝑉𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 ) − (9810 𝑚3 ) 𝑉𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 = 46.5975 𝑁 − 35.07075 𝑁
102024 𝑁/𝑚3 (𝑉𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 ) = 46.5975 𝑁 − 35.07075 𝑁
𝑽𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 = 𝟏. 𝟏𝟐𝟗𝟖𝟏 𝒙 𝟏𝟎−𝟒 𝒎𝟑

𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑:

𝑊𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 = 𝛾𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑉𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑
𝑁
𝑊𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 = 11.4 (9810 ) (𝑉𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 )
𝑚3
−4
𝑊𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 = 111834 (1.12981 𝑥 10 𝑚3 )
𝑾𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 = 𝟏𝟐. 𝟔𝟑𝟓 𝑵

Eden