Introduction

When an object is immersed in water, it pushes water aside. The buoyant force of water on the object reduces the weight of the object. In this experiment, you will determine and compare the buoyant force on an object and the weight of the water pushed aside (displaced) by the object for three objects. The Greek mathematician Archimedes first studied this relationship during the third century B.C.

Objectives

In this experiment, you will

  • Use a Force Sensor to measure the weights of objects in and out of water.
  • Determine the buoyant force of water on each object.
  • Determine the weight of water displaced by each object.
  • Compare buoyant force to weight of water displaced for each object.
  • Use the results of the experiment to explain why objects sink or float.