Floatation

The concept of floatation is one of the important properties of fluids which is based on
buoyancy and thrust. The phenomenon of floatation totally depends on the various
properties of fluids and objects.

What is Floatation?
The tendency of an object to rise up to the upper levels of the fluid or to float on
the fluid surface is known as floatation. Sinking is just the opposite process of
floatation which means the tendency of an object to go deep down to the lower
levels of the fluid.

The phenomenon of floatation totally depends on the density of the object placed
in the fluid and the density of the fluid in which it is placed. A ship can only float or
sail on the sea if its density is lesser than that of the seawater.

What is the Law of Floatation?

The fluid in which a body floats should relocate or displace the fluid of its own
weight to float; this is known as the law of floatation.

For example: If a brick of wood weighing 300kg (3000N) floats in water, then this
means that it displaces 300kg (3000N) of water; however, in other fluids of
different properties, if the same wood brick is placed, then it will only float if it is
able to displace the same 300kg of fluid.

Conditions for an Object to Float

⦁ The fluid in which the object has to float should have a density more than that of the
average density of the floating object.

⦁ The total weight of the object must be equal to the upthrust force of the fluid on the
object.

⦁ To displace a huge amount of fluid, the volume of the object submerged must be
huge enough.

Relationship between Real Weight of a Floating Body and Upthrust

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As we know,

Real weight = apparent loss in weight + apparent weight

Where apparent loss in weight is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced, which
is the upthrust

Therefore,

Real weight = upthrust + apparent weight

But, the apparent weight of an object becomes zero when it floats.

Hence, apparent weight = 0

Now,

Real weight = upthrust + 0

Therefore, real weight = upthrust.

The relationship between real weight and upthrust of a floating object shows that
the real weight is equal to the upthrust, and the floating body displaces its own
weight of the fluid in which it floats because the upthrust is equal to the weight of
the fluid displaced. Therefore, to make an object float, it is important that its real
weight must be equal to upthrust.

Daily Life Applications of the Law of Floatation

⦁ In waterways transportation
The law of floatation is applicable to all the containers that travel by
waterways, consisting of ships, boats and submarines.

⦁ In transportation by airways
Hot air balloons and airships are the most widely used air transport
mediums that use the law of floatation.

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 ⦁ In decoration
Balloons filled with lighter gases used for decorative purposes also work on
the law of floatation.

⦁ In the measurement of specific gravity of liquids

To measure the specific gravity of liquids, an instrument is used, which is
named hydrometer. It employs the law of floatation.

What is the principle for flotation of ships?

The ship can be assumed to be like a floating bowl of iron in water, but the bowl
does not sink even though iron is denser than water. Because of its hollow shape,
it contains air, which causes its average density to be lesser than that of water.

If you fill sand into the bowl, it will keep floating, but in a surplus mass of sand, the
bowl will sink, which is called overloading in ships.

Even though the ships are made of metals that are denser than water, like,
aluminum alloy or steel, they manage to float in water because of their hollow
structure. This hollow structure filled with air results in a lesser average density as
compared to the average density of water even when it is full with cargo.

The ship travels in diverse densities of water like seawater, hot water, cold water
or freshwater. Therefore, the ship can displace more or less water according to
the change in waterways in which it floats, which means that the ship may lose or
gain thrust. The ship sinks if the upthrust becomes less than its own weight.

How does a submarine sink and float?

A ship that can travel deep underwater as well as on the surface too is known as
a submarine. Using the law of floatation, the submarine owes its ability to dive
and come up to the surface of the water. It holds weight tanks on either side,
which are occupied with water when it has to dive into the waters and are emptied
when it has to come up. The tanks are filled and emptied using the special

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pumps.

How does a hot air balloon float?

A hot air balloon comprises three parts, the burner, the balloon, and the basket.
Propane gas is used by the burner to heat up the air in the balloon, and as soon
as the air in the balloon gets hot, it enlarges or expands, which results in the rise
of a balloon because its density becomes lower than the surrounding air.

To get the balloon down, the pilot can open a parachute valve at the top of the
balloon, which decreases the temperature and density inside the balloon because
it causes cold air to enter the balloon. Also, by burning less fuel, the pilot can let
the air inside the balloon cool itself.

How does an Airship Float?

The airship floats in the sky using the helium and hydrogen gases because these
gases are lighter, and they help the airship to rise up; by means of a propeller
attached to the ship, maneuverings are done. The engine is used to propel the
ship, and the lighter gas gives it a lift.

Buoyant Force
Buoyant Force
Buoyancy is the tendency of an object to float in a fluid. All liquids and gases in
the presence of gravity exert an upward force known as the buoyant force on any
object immersed in them. Buoyancy results from the differences in pressure
acting on opposite sides of an object immersed in a static fluid. After reading this
article, you will be able to explain the buoyant force and why fluids exert an
upward buoyant force on submerged objects. Let’s go through buoyancy meaning
and different aspects of buoyant force.

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What Is a Buoyant Force?
The buoyant force is the upward force exerted on an object wholly or partly
immersed in a fluid. This upward force is also called Upthrust. Due to the buoyant
force, a body submerged partially or fully in a fluid appears to lose its weight, i.e.,
appears to be lighter.

The following factors affect buoyant force:

⦁ the density of the fluid

⦁ the volume of the fluid displaced

⦁ the local acceleration due to gravity

An object whose density is greater than that of the fluid in which it is submerged
tends to sink. If the object is either less dense than the liquid or is shaped
appropriately (as in a boat), the force can keep the object afloat. In terms
of relative density, if the relative density is less than one, it floats in water and
substances with a relative density greater than one sink in water.

What Causes Buoyant Force?

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When an object is immersed in water or any other fluid, we observe that the object
experiences a force from the downward direction opposite to the gravitational pull,
which is responsible for the decrease in its weight. This upward force exerted by the
fluid opposes the weight of an object immersed in a fluid. As we know, the pressure in a
fluid column increases with depth. Thus, the pressure at the bottom of an object
submerged in the fluid is greater than that at the top. The difference in this pressure
results in a net upward force on the object, which we define as buoyancy.

Demonstration of Buoyant Force

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When we submerge an object in a fluid, an upward force is experienced by the
object. The fluid applies this force on the object, which causes it to rise, and we
call this force buoyant force. The magnitude of this force is precisely equal to the
amount of weight of the liquid displaced.

The point where the buoyant force is applied or the point on the object where the
force acts is termed the center of Buoyancy.

Why Does an Object Float or Sink in Water?

If one considers a single column of liquid, then it can be viewed as a concoction
of the many overlying layers, one over the other, with fluctuating pressure. The
pressure at the bottom of the liquid would be greater than at the top; this is

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because as we go down in the liquid, the number of layers of the liquid that are
overlying, i.e., the layers one over the other, increases.

Owing to the difference in the pressure amid the layers, there tends to be a
made-up force being applied to it in the upward direction. This force leads to the
acceleration of the object that has been submerged in the upward direction. The
force is always in the vertical direction.

It can also be said that the magnitude of the upward force is equivalent to the
difference in the pressure of the topmost and the last layer and equivalent to the
weight of the fluid displaced.

Floating is the consequence of the above concept. The object should be less
dense than water, or else, if its density is greater, it will tend to sink.

Applications of Buoyancy
Buoyancy(upthrust) makes it possible for swimmers, fishes, ships, and icebergs
to stay afloat. Some applications of buoyancy are given in the points below.

Hot Air Balloon

The atmosphere is filled with air that exerts buoyant force on any object. A hot air
balloon rises and floats due to the buoyant force. It descends when the balloon’s
weight is higher than the buoyant force. It becomes stationary when the weight
equals the buoyant force.

Ship
A ship floats on the surface of the sea because the volume of water displaced by
the ship is enough to have a weight equal to the weight of the ship. A ship is
constructed in a way so that the shape is hollow to make the overall density of the
ship lesser than the seawater. Therefore, the buoyant force acting on the ship is
large enough to support its weight.

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Fish
A certain group of fishes uses Archimedes’ principle to go up and down the water.
To go up to the surface, the fish will fill its swim bladder (air sacs) with gases
(clever, isn’t it?). The gases diffuse from their own body to the bladder and thus
make the body lighter. This enables the fish to go up.

Archimedes Principle
Archimedes Principle
Archimedes’ principle deals with the forces applied to an object by fluids
surrounding it. This applied force reduces the net weight of the object submerged
in a fluid. In this article, let us familiarize ourselves with Archimedes’ principle.

What is the Archimedes’ Principle?

Archimedes’ principle states that:

“The upward buoyant force that is exerted on a body immersed in a fluid,

whether partially or fully submerged, is equal to the weight of the fluid that
the body displaces and acts in the upward direction at the center of mass of
the displaced fluid”.

The value of thrust force is given by the Archimedes law which Archimedes of
Syracuse of Greece discovered. When an object is partially or fully immersed in a
liquid, the apparent loss of weight is equal to the weight of the liquid displaced by
it.

Archimedes’ Principal Explanation

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If you look at the figure, the weight due to gravity is opposed by the thrust
provided by the fluid. The object inside the liquid only feels the total force acting
on it as the weight. Because the actual gravitational force is decreased by the
liquid’s upthrust, the object feels as though its weight is reduced. The apparent
weight is thus given by:

Apparent weight= Weight of object (in the air) – Thrust force (buoyancy)
Archimedes’ principle tells us that the weight loss is equal to the weight of liquid
the object displaces.

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Archimedes’ Principal Formula
In simple form, the Archimedes law states that the buoyant force on an object is
equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. Mathematically written as:

Fb = ρ x g x V

Where Fb is the buoyant force, ρ is the density of the fluid, V is the submerged
volume, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

Archimedes’ Principle Derivation

We know that the density is defined as

Archimedes’ Principle Derivation

We know that the density is defined as

𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦(𝜌)=𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠(𝑀)/𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒(𝑉)

Therefore, the mass of the displaced liquid can be written as follows:

𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠(𝑀)=𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦(𝜌)𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒(𝑉)
Now, the weight of the displaced liquid can be calculated as follows:

𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡=𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠×𝐴𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑒𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦

𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡=𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠×𝑔=𝜌×𝑉×𝑔

From Archimedes’ principle, we know that the apparent loss of weight is equal to
the weight of the water displaced therefore the thrust force is given by the
following equation:

𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒=𝜌×𝑉×𝑔

Where ρ is the density of the liquid, V is the volume of liquid displaced and g is
the acceleration due to gravity.

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The thrust force is also called the buoyant force because it is responsible for
objects floating. Thus, this equation is also called the law of buoyancy.

Archimedes’ Principle Examples

Q1. Calculate the resulting force, if a steel ball of radius 6 cm is immersed in
water.

Ans: Given,

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Radius of steel ball = 6 cm = 0.06 m

Volume of steel ball,

𝑉=43𝜋𝑟3
𝑉=43𝜋0.063
∴V = 9.05 × 10-4 m3

Density of water, ρ = 1000 kg.m-3

Acceleration due to gravity, g = 9.8 m.s-2

From Archimedes’ principle formula,

Fb = ρ × g × V

Fb = (1000 kg.m-3)(9.8 m.s-2)(9.05 × 10-4 m3)

∴Fb = 8.87 N

Q2. Calculate the buoyant force, if a floating body is 95% submerged in

water. The density of water is 1000 kg.m-3.

Ans: Given,
Density of water, p = 1000 kg.m-3
From Archimedes’ principle formula,
Fb = ρ × g × V

or

Vb × ρb × g = ρ × g × V

Where,

ρ,g, and V are the density, acceleration due to gravity, and volume of the water

Vb, ρb, and g are the volume, density, and acceleration due to gravity of body
immersed

Rearranging the equation,

𝜌𝑏=𝑉𝜌𝑉𝑏

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Since 95% of the body is immersed,

0.95 × Vb = V

∴ρb = 950 kg.m-3

Archimedes’ Principle Experiment

⦁ Take a container filled with water to the brim.

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 ⦁ Now take any solid object you like and measure its weight using a spring balance.
Note this down.

⦁ Keep the object attached to the spring balance and submerge it in the water. Just
make sure the spring balance is not submerged.

⦁ Now, note down the weight shown by the spring balance. You will notice that it is less.
Some water will be displaced into the bowl.

⦁ Collect this water and weigh it. You will find that the weight of the water will be exactly
equal to the loss of weight of the object!

Archimedes’ Principle Applications

Following are the applications of Archimedes’ principle:

Submarine:
The reason why submarines are always underwater is that they have a
component called ballast tank which allows the water to enter making the
submarine be in its position underwater as the weight of the submarine is greater
than the buoyant force.

Hot-air balloon:
The reason why hot-air balloons rise and float in mid-air is because the buoyant
force of the hot-air balloon is less than the surrounding air. When the buoyant
force of the hot-air balloon is more, it starts to descend. This is done by varying
the quantity of hot air in the balloon.

Hydrometer:
A hydrometer is an instrument used for measuring the relative density of liquids.
Hydrometer consists of lead shots which makes them float vertically on the liquid.
The lower the hydrometer sinks, the lesser is the density of the liquid.

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