Cornell Notes on Buoyancy and Archimedes’ Principle
Key Concepts
Upthrust (Buoyant Force)
• Definition: Upthrust is the upward force exerted by a fluid on a body immersed in
it.
• Max. Upthrust: In experiments, when an empty can or cork is pushed into water,
the upthrust increases as more volume is submerged until fully immersed.
Weight and Falling Objects
• Weight Comparison: When comparing a bunch of feathers and a pebble of the
same mass falling in air:
– The pebble falls faster due to less upthrust from air (pebble has a smaller
volume).
– In a vacuum, both fall at the same rate as there is no upthrust.
Factors Influencing Buoyancy
1. Density of Fluid: The maximum buoyant force (F’B) can be:
– Greater than, equal to, or less than the weight (W) of the body.
– If F’B > W or F’B = W, the body floats.
– If F’B < W, the body sinks.
2. Volume Submerged: For the same volume submerged, a denser fluid exerts greater
upthrust.
Example with Corks
• Cork A in Water vs. Cork B in Glycerine:
– Both corks float, but the volume of cork B submerged in glycerine is less than
that of cork A in water due to glycerine’s higher density.
– To immerse cork B to the same level as cork A, additional force is required.
Pressure and Upthrust
• Pressure Difference: The upthrust on a body is calculated as the difference in
pressure between the bottom and top surfaces of the body.
• Neutralization of Thrust: The lateral thrust on the sides of the body cancels out.
Centre of Buoyancy
• Definition: The centre of buoyancy is the centre of gravity of the displaced fluid.
• Floating Bodies: For a body floating partially submerged, the centre of buoyancy
(B) is below the centre of gravity (G) of the entire body.
Archimedes’ Principle
• Statement: A body immersed in a fluid experiences an upthrust equal to the weight
of the fluid displaced.
• Application: This principle applies to both liquids and gases.
Experimental Verification of Archimedes’ Principle
Experiment 1: Solid vs. Hollow Cylinder
1. Setup: Two cylinders (A: solid, B: hollow) of the same volume are suspended on a
balance.
2. Observation: When cylinder A is immersed in water, it loses weight due to
upthrust.
3. Measurement: The volume of water displaced by cylinder A is collected, showing
that the buoyant force equals the weight of the displaced water.
Experiment 2: Solid in Water
1. Setup: A solid is suspended from a spring balance and weighed.
2. Observation: The loss in weight when immersed in water equals the weight of the
water displaced.
3. Conclusion: Confirms Archimedes’ principle as the weight of water displaced equals
the loss in weight of the solid.
Summary of Key Points
• Upthrust increases with the volume submerged.
• The density of the fluid affects the buoyant force.
• Archimedes’ principle applies universally to all fluids.
• Experimental verification demonstrates the relationship between buoyant force and
weight of displaced fluid.
