How did Archimedes figure out buoyancy? - Project Sports
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How did Archimedes figure out buoyancy?

2 min read

Asked by: Chris Hall

Archimedes thought long and hard but could not find a method for proving that the crown was not solid gold. Soon after, he filled a bathtub and noticed that water spilled over the edge as he got in and he realized that the water displaced by his body was equal to the weight of his body.

How did Archimedes do his experiment?

Archimedes took two pieces of pure gold and of pure silver that had weights identical to the weight of the crown. He then successively immerses the gold, the silver, and the crown in a container filled to the brim with water and measured the volume of water that overflowed with each material.

How does Archimedes principle apply to the flotation of a boat?

Archimedes’ buoyancy principle states that buoyant force — what keeps the ship afloat — is equal to the weight of water that is displaced when the ship enters the ocean. If the weight of displaced water is at least equal to the weight of the ship, the ship will float.

How did Archimedes solve the problem?

Putting out the gold and the crown from the beakers, he noticed that the beaker, in which the 7 kilos of gold was immersed, contained less water than the other beaker on that time, due to the greater density. In this way Archimedes solved the problem of the king.

What is Archimedes principle explain?

Archimedes’ principle states that the upward buoyant force that is exerted on a body immersed in a fluid, whether fully or partially, is equal to the weight of the fluid that the body displaces. Archimedes’ principle is a law of physics fundamental to fluid mechanics.

How can the Archimedes principle be used to determine the density?

How can the Archimedes’ Principle be used to determine the density? The weight of the fluid displaced is equal to the buoyant force on a submerged object. The mass divided by the volume thus determined gives a measure of the average density of the object.

How do you explain buoyancy to a child?


And if the object is lighter than the amount of water it is displaced or something not very dense the object will float like the basketball.

Why do ships not sink in water?

The air that is inside a ship is much less dense than water. That’s what keeps it floating! The average density of the total volume of the ship and everything inside of it (including the air) must be less than the same volume of water.