What is the Buoyant Force on a Submerged Ping-Pong Ball?

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In summary, Archimede's principle states that the buoyant force on an object is equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. To solve the problem of determining the force required to hold a Ping-Pong ball completely submerged in water, you will need to calculate the volume of the ball and multiply it by the density of water to find the weight of the displaced water. This, along with the ball's weight and the applied force, will determine the net force acting on the ball, which must be equal to zero for the ball to be completely submerged.
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APool555
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My professor briefly went over Archimede's principle and assigned some problems on it. I do not know how to attack it. Here's the first problem he gave:

A Ping-Pong ball has a diameter of 3.80 cm and average density of 0.084 g/cm^3. What force is required to hold it completely submerged in water?
 
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APool555 said:
My professor briefly went over Archimede's principle and assigned some problems on it. I do not know how to attack it. Here's the first problem he gave:

A Ping-Pong ball has a diameter of 3.80 cm and average density of 0.084 g/cm^3. What force is required to hold it completely submerged in water?

The buoyant force is equal to the weight of the water displaced by the ball. You can find that by figuring out the volume of the ball and multiplying by the density of water. The net force on the ball is its little bit of weight, plus you pushing it down, plus the buoyant force, and those add up to zero.
 
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Start by identifying all the forces acting on the ball, including the applied force. One of those forces is the buoyant force, which Archimede's principle says is equal to the weight of the displaced water. (The buoyant force is the force that the fluid--water, in this case--exerts on a submerged object.)
 

1. What is Archimede's Principle?

Archimede's Principle, also known as the Law of Buoyancy, states that the upward buoyant force exerted on an object immersed in a fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid that the object displaces.

2. How does Archimede's Principle work?

Archimede's Principle works by comparing the weight of an object to the weight of the fluid it displaces. If the weight of the object is greater than the weight of the fluid it displaces, the object will sink. If the weight of the object is less than the weight of the fluid it displaces, the object will float.

3. What is the practical application of Archimede's Principle?

Archimede's Principle has many practical applications, including in shipbuilding and designing flotation devices. It also explains why some objects float while others sink in water and why icebergs float in the ocean.

4. How does the density of an object affect its buoyancy?

The density of an object plays a crucial role in its buoyancy. An object with a lower density than the fluid it is placed in will float, while an object with a higher density will sink. This is because the lower density object displaces more fluid, resulting in a greater upward buoyant force.

5. How did Archimede's Principle get its name?

Archimede's Principle is named after the ancient Greek mathematician and scientist, Archimedes. He is credited with discovering and describing the principle in the 3rd century BC. It was originally written in his work "On Floating Bodies".

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