Buoyant forces and temperature

AI Thread Summary
The buoyant force on an aluminum sphere submerged in water will remain largely unchanged if both the sphere and the water are heated, provided their volumetric expansion rates are similar. As temperature increases, the density of water decreases while the aluminum expands, but if these changes offset each other, buoyancy remains constant. The buoyant force is calculated as the weight of the displaced water minus the weight of the sphere. Understanding this relationship clarifies the physics behind buoyancy in varying temperatures. This discussion effectively addresses the initial curiosity regarding buoyant force behavior with temperature changes.
kmkindig
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I was just looking through an internet site and there was this question... Will the buoyant force acting on on aluminum sphere submerged in water increase or decrease if the temperature of both is increased. Why? This question just sparked my interest because i am not a physics major but now a little about physics and didnt know the answer. Thanks!
 
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If the volummetric expansion of the aluminum is the same as the density decrease of the water, then there is no nearly no change in the buoyancy, because the buoyancy force F is equal to the mass of the water M the sphere displaces minus the mass of the sphere m, times g: F = (M-m)g.
 
Hey that helps out a lot! Thank you very much and that conquers my curiousity. Thanks again
 
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