Table of contents | |
Introduction | |
Principle of Floatation | |
Conditions for Floatation | |
Relationship Between Real Weight and Upthrust |
Floatation refers to the ability of an object to stay on the surface or in the upper layers of a liquid, such as water or any other liquid.
In the illustrated example, floatation and sinking are shown. The object that floats remains in the upper layers of the liquid, while the object that sinks is at the lowest levels of the fluid.
The principle of floatation, articulated by the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes, states that any object submerged in a liquid experiences an upward force, known as buoyancy. This buoyant force allows an object to float if it displaces an amount of liquid equal to its own weight. The density of an object plays a crucial role in floatation; an object will float if its density is lower than the liquid's density. For instance, a leaf floats on water due to its lower density, whereas a stone sinks because it is denser than water.
The laws governing floatation derive from Archimedes’ Principle. They state:
For an object to float, it must meet these conditions:
When pushing an object through water, you encounter resistance due to the buoyant force, or upthrust, which acts upward. This buoyant force makes submerged objects feel lighter. The upthrust increases with the volume of the submerged body and the fluid's density. The center of buoyancy is where the upthrust acts in an upward direction on the body. The relationship between an object's real weight and upthrust shows that they are equal, meaning the floating body displaces its own weight in the fluid.
Examples
The principles of floatation are applied in various real-life scenarios:
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1. What is the principle of floatation? |
2. What are the conditions for floatation to occur? |
3. How is the relationship between real weight and upthrust related to floatation? |
4. How does floatation apply to objects of different densities? |
5. How can the principle of floatation be applied in real-life situations? |
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