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Ralphonsicus
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How does one go about massing an object less dense than air (like a balloon), because gravity can then not be relied on?
mathman said:What do mean by "massing"? Note - "mass" is a noun, not a verb.
Drakkith said:Buoyancy! This page should help: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/pbuoy4.html#c2
Just pretend you are weighing the object underwater and the page should work fine. If you want to do the calculations by hand you can find them on wikipedia's page on Buoyancy as well as on the first site linked.
Ralphonsicus said:Having trouble understanding? Drakkith seemed to cope just fine.
The mass of an object that is less dense than air is typically measured using a balance or scale. The object is placed on one side of the balance and standard weights are placed on the other side until the balance is level. The total mass of the object can then be calculated by adding up the mass of the weights.
No, an object's mass cannot be negative. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter an object contains, and it is always a positive value. However, the object's weight may appear to be negative if it is floating or suspended in air due to buoyancy forces.
The density of an object does not directly affect its mass. Mass is a measure of the object's total amount of matter, while density is a measure of how tightly packed that matter is. However, the mass of an object can be used to calculate its density by dividing the mass by the volume.
Yes, an object that is less dense than air can have a greater mass than a similar object that is more dense. This is because mass is a measure of the total amount of matter an object contains, and density is a measure of how tightly packed that matter is. So, even if an object is less dense, it may still have a greater amount of matter and therefore a greater mass.
The mass of an object that is less dense than air can be used to determine the buoyant force acting on the object by comparing the object's weight to its apparent weight when immersed in a fluid. If the object weighs less when immersed, this indicates that the buoyant force is greater than the object's weight and is helping to keep it afloat. The difference between the object's weight and its apparent weight is equal to the buoyant force acting on the object.