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Archimedes’ principle
What is the ‘Archimedes’ principle?
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The Archimedes’ principle, named after the ancient Greek mathematician and physicist Archimedes, states that when a body is partially or wholly submerged in a fluid, it experiences an upward buoyant force that is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body. In simpler terms, it states that an object immersed in a fluid experiences an upward force that is equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces.
The buoyant force arises because the pressure exerted by a fluid increases with depth. When an object is submerged in a fluid, the fluid exerts a greater pressure on the bottom of the object compared to the top. The difference in pressure creates an upward force that counteracts the weight of the object, resulting in the buoyant force.
The magnitude of the buoyant force can be calculated using the formula:
Buoyant force = Weight of the fluid displaced = Density of the fluid × Volume of the fluid displaced × Acceleration due to gravity
Where the density of the fluid represents the mass per unit volume of the fluid, and the volume of the fluid displaced is equal to the volume of the submerged portion of the object.
Archimedes’ principle has important applications in various fields, such as determining the buoyancy of ships and submarines, understanding the behavior of floating objects, and explaining why objects appear lighter when submerged in water.
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