EXPERIMENT 3 : ARCHIMEDES

PRINCIPLE
OBJECTIVES
To determine the buoyant force from Archimedes Principle.
INFERENCES
1 . Archimedes Principle states that When an object is immersed in a fluid
(liquid or gas),the
buoyant force (up thrust force) on the object is equal to the weight of fluid
displaced by the
object.
2 . Gravitational acceleration, g= 9.81 ms
HYPOTHESIS
The buoyant force on an object is equal to the weight of the water displaced.
PROCEDURES
1 . The mass of empty beaker is weighted.
2 . The spring balance at the arm of retort stand is hung.
3 . The wooden block is tied and hung to the spring balance.
4 . The weight of the block in the air is recorded as Figure 5a.
5 . The Eureka beaker is filled with water.
6 . The apparatus is set as Figure 5b.
7 . The arm of retort stand tied with the block is lowered gently.
8 . Let the block arise/sink in water.
9. The weight of the block is recorded.
10 . Water will be displaced from Eureka beaker into the other beaker.
11 . The mass of the displaced water in the beaker is recorded.
12 . The above procedures are repeated by using the plastic blocks.

Figure 5a

Figure

5b

DIAGRAM / DRAWINGS

Retort stand

Spring

Wood block

Plastic

balance

block

Beaker
beaker

Scissor
String

Eureka

DATA
Weight of block (N)
Mass of
Type
Of
Bloc
ks

In the air T (N)

In the water T (N)

beaker
with

Weight
of
water
displace
d (N)

displace
d
water
(g)
Tria Tria
l
l
Average
1
2

Tria
l
1

Tria
l
Average
2

1.1

0.3

0.3

1.1

Wood

1.1+1.1
(2)

0.3+0.3
(2)
=0.3

147.52

0.5+0.5(2
)
=0.5

160.08

Significa
nt
loss of
block
weight
F = T T

0.839

1.1-0.3
= 0.8

0
=
.8
=
1
=

0.963

1.2-0.5
= 0.7

0
=
.7
=
0
=

=1.1

1.2
Plasti
c

1.2

1.2+1.2
(2)
=1.2

0.5

0.5

a . Mass of empty beaker = 61.96 g

ANALYSIS
The Archimedes Principle states that the buoyant force applied to an object is
equal to the weight of the fluid the object displaces. When an objects weight
less than the volume of water, the object will
float while the object will sink when the objects weight more than the volume of
water.

QUESTION
1.Why do some objects :
a. Float when placed in water
-Because they are positively buoyant, or less dense than the fluid in which they
are sitting and its weights less than an equal volume of water(1 g/cm 3 )
b. Sink when placed in water
-Because the object weights more than an equal volume of water(1 g/cm 3 ), it is
more dense and will sink.
2.From the experiment, which block has a greater buoyant force for it
to float ?
-Plastic block.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, after performing the experiment, therefore say that the force
present which the fluid exerts on an object placed in it is equal to the weight of
the fluid the object displaces. Archimedes principle also makes possible the
determination of the density of an object that is so irregular in shape that its
volume cannot be measured directly. If the object is weighed first in air and then
in water, the difference in weights will equal the weight of the volume of the
water displaced, which is the same as the volume of the object. Thus the weight
density of the object (weight divided by volume) can readily be determined. In
very high precision weighing, both in air and in water, the displaced weight of
both the air and water has to be accounted for in arriving at the correct volume
and density.