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The force of earth's gravity on an object in water is the same as the force of gravity on it when it's on land. What's up with that? There is an extra force operating in water, and it's called buoyancy. An object put in water, like a rock, will displace an amount of water equal to its volume. The water pushes up on the object with a force equal to the effect of gravity on that volume of water that has been displaced by the object. That makes the object "lighter" when it's under water. The water's buoyancy is operating against the force of gravity. What happens when an object is placed in water and it's overall density is less than that of water? It does something amazing. It floats. Take a tennis ball. Hold it in the hand and drop it. It falls to the ground. Put that same tennis ball in a bucket of water. It floats. (It displaces its equivalent mass of water, though.) Has gravity taken the day off? Nope. Why doesn't gravity pull the ball to the bottom of the bucket? Buoyancy. Hey, since you've got that big bucket of water, get a big rock about the size of that tennis ball or so. Hold it in your hand. Heavy, right? Yeah. Now, holding the rock the same way, lower it into the bucket of water. You should be able to feel the difference in the amount of force required to hold the rock. It's "lighter" all of a sudden when it's under the water because of the effect of buoyancy. Buoyancy vs. gravity. An interesting matchup. Think we can book this into one of the big Vegas casinos and score a mega-buck pay-per-view contract?

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17y ago

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Related Questions

What is the force that causes a marble to sink in water?

The force that causes a marble to sink in water is gravity. The weight of the marble is greater than the buoyant force acting on it, causing it to sink.


What 2 forces affect you when you float how do these 2 forces compare in size?

There is the downward force of gravity, pushing you towards the bottom of the body of water. The second force is buoyant force which keeps you afloat. Since you aren't sinking then the buoyant force is greater than the force of gravity.


Why do things sink in water?

Objects sink in water due to the force of gravity pulling them down, which is greater than the buoyant force pushing them up. This causes the object to displace water equal to its weight, making it sink.


What are the forces on the plasticine when it is floating?

When plasticine is floating in water, the forces acting on it are gravity pulling it downward and buoyancy pushing it upward. The buoyant force is equal to the weight of the water displaced by the plasticine, keeping it afloat.


Does buoyant force depend on the density of the object?

No, it depends on volume of water displaced, density has nothing to do with it. Think of it like this: if that object wasn't there, wherever it is would be filled with water. Thus, the force on it depends on how much water it pushed out of the way. As much water as it pushed away is how much force the water, as a whole, is exerting on it. the reason denser objects displace more water is this: they are heavier. the Force of gravity is constant, and so the greater mass (density is mass/volume) the greater the downward pull. Thus, the object can push more water out of its way, because it has greater force to push with. Therefore, to reach equilibrium, where the forces cancel, the object must sink to the point that buoyant forces and gravity are equal, and since gravity is greater, it must sink to a greater buoyant force.


What is the bouyancy of air?

Bouyant force was described by Archimedes to be equal to the force due to gravity of the substance displaced by the object. So in the case of a balloon in water the bouyant force is equal to the force of weight of the water that the balloon displaces otherwise known as the (volume of the balloon)*(density of water)*gravity. Hope that helps


What is the relationship between buoyant force and the volume of water displaced?

The buoyant force acting on an object submerged in water is equal to the weight of the water displaced by the object. The volume of water displaced is directly proportional to the buoyant force, meaning that the greater the volume of water displaced, the greater the buoyant force acting on the object.


A piece of pine wood floats on the surface of a lake because the water exerts?

An upward buoyant force on the wood that is greater than the downward force of gravity acting on it. This buoyant force is a result of the displacement of water by the wood when it is placed in the lake, causing the wood to float.


How bodies float on water?

When an object is placed in water, it displaces an amount of water equal to its own weight. If this displaced water weighs more than the object, the object will float. This is because the buoyant force pushing up on the object is greater than the force of gravity pulling it down.


How much does an object need to weigh to sink in a bucket of water?

An object will sink in water if its weight is greater than the buoyant force acting on it. The weight of an object is determined by its mass and the force of gravity acting on it. If the weight of the object exceeds the buoyant force (equal to the weight of the water displaced by the object), it will sink.


What is the force of gravity acting on the block (the weight) in water?

The force of gravity acting on an object in water is its weight minus the buoyant force acting upwards. The weight of the object in water is equal to its mass times the acceleration due to gravity, but the effective weight in water is less due to the buoyant force.


What happen when the downward pull of gravity on an object is equal to the upward force of water?

When the downward pull of gravity on an object is equal to the upward force of water (buoyancy), the object will float at a certain level in the water. This is known as the object being in equilibrium, where the forces are balanced and there is no net force acting on the object.