Calculating Volume & Buoyant Force: A Spring Scale Experiment

Click For Summary
The experiment involved measuring the weight of three objects both dry and submerged in water using a spring scale. The difference in weight when submerged indicates the buoyant force, which is calculated by subtracting the wet weight from the dry weight. The volume of the objects can be determined by the amount of water displaced, equating to the buoyant force. For example, a weight difference of 0.25 Newtons corresponds to 25.5 cc of water displaced, allowing for density calculations. The discussion highlights the relationship between buoyant force, volume, and density in fluid mechanics.
GreenEyedGal3
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
I did an experiment where i measured the weight (in Newtons) of three objects on a spring scale. Then, i measured the weight (in Newtons) of the three objects on a spring scale while the objects were submerged underwater. How would i calculate the volume and buoyant force?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Please show your work.

May we assume you weighed each of three objects dry (out of water) and wet (submerged)? Is there a difference? If so, what is the reason for the difference.

When measuring submerged, did one measure the change in water level or volume?

Does one know the density of the objects?
 
Yes i measured the objects both dry and wet. Object one was 2.00 Newtons dry and 1.75 Newtons wet. Objects two was .57 Newtons dry and .45 Newtons wet. Object three was 2.00 Newtons dry and 1.75 Newtons wet.

I do not know the density of any of the objects.
 
I figured out the buoyant force is the difference in the weight of the objects from dry to wet. I also figured out the volume of the objects by using the formula Buoyant force = Density of the fluid times the volume of the fluid times the acceleration due to gravity.

How would i start to calculate weight density and mass density of the three objects?
 
The water that an object displaces is equal to the buoyancy force of that mass. So the weight difference can be used to determine the volume. For example the weight difference for the first object was 0.25 Newtons. 0.25 Newtons is 25.5 grams of water displaced or since the density of water is 1 gram per cc then that means you displace 25.5 cc of water. So object one's density is 2N/.0255L or 78.4 Newtons/ liter or 8 Kg/L. Did you know that you used the same figures for items one and three?
 
The book claims the answer is that all the magnitudes are the same because "the gravitational force on the penguin is the same". I'm having trouble understanding this. I thought the buoyant force was equal to the weight of the fluid displaced. Weight depends on mass which depends on density. Therefore, due to the differing densities the buoyant force will be different in each case? Is this incorrect?

Similar threads

  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 62 ·
3
Replies
62
Views
5K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
4K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
3K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
4K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K