How Does Spring Buoyancy Affect Weight Readings in Fluids?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the effects of buoyancy on weight readings in a spring scale when a ball is submerged in water. Participants explore the mechanics of how a spring scale operates in different scenarios involving the ball's position in the fluid, the forces at play, and the implications for weight measurements.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question how the spring scale works and what contributes to the increase in readings when the ball is submerged.
  • There is a discussion about whether the apparent weight of the ball decreases as it is submerged deeper, with some suggesting this is due to an increase in buoyant force.
  • Participants explore the relationship between the buoyant force and the weight of the ball, particularly in different cases of submersion.
  • One participant proposes that the normal balance measures both the weight of the water and the buoyant force when the ball is not at the bottom.
  • There is confusion regarding the mechanics of the spring balance and how it reports weight in relation to buoyancy and water displacement.
  • Some participants use analogies, such as pushing against a ceiling, to explain the forces acting on the ball and the scale.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying interpretations of how buoyancy affects weight readings, with no consensus reached on the mechanics of the spring scale or the conditions under which different forces are measured.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the complexity of the interactions between buoyant force, weight, and the readings of the spring scale, indicating that assumptions about the system may not be fully resolved.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying fluid mechanics, buoyancy, or the principles of force measurement in physics.

Misr
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Hello,world
[PLAIN]http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/4446/samar.jpg
1-How does this spring scale work?

2-Where does this increase in the reading of the normal balance(scale) come from?
Does it come from the rise in water level in the tank?Okay water already has aconstant mass

Does it come from the weight of the ball?I don't think so.

3-why does the apparent weight decreases as the ball goes down into the fluid(by increasing depth)??may be because the buoyant force increases..
the buoyant force is different in case(2) and case(3) although the ball already displaced the same volume of water-so buoyancy should be the same.can you realize my problem here?

4-In case(3)
The spring reads zero
which means that Fb=Fg
so the body should suspend in water instead of sinking ...or may be the spring is exerting a certain force to maintain the ball in this position.may be this question is related to the first one which is concerned with the mechanism of the spring balance

5-can we know from this picture if the spring has a smaller-equal-bigger density than that of water?or it just doesn't indicate?
 
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1.- When the ball is at the bottom, the weight of it is being held by the bottom scale and the top feels nothing.

2.- In the middle, the ball is being pushed up by a force equivalent to the weight of the volume of water displaced...so the water is pushing up and so the scale at the bottom feels such reaction and the scale at the top feels the help

3.- Same as 2, except that there is water displaced.

4.- ...

From the readings, I gather this ball definitely sinks in water. In other words, the long line from the top scale down to the ball could be a rope and it would still work this way.
 
Do you mean that the normal balance measures the upward force only,either the normal force of the water tank or the buoyant force?
 
When the ball is not at the very bottom, the balance reports the weight of the water plus the buoyant force.
 
2.- In the middle, the ball is being pushed up by a force equivalent to the weight of the volume of water displaced...so the water is pushing up and so the scale at the bottom feels such reaction and the scale at the top feels the help
first what do you mean by "the scale at the top feels the help"?which help?
When the ball is not at the very bottom, the balance reports the weight of the water plus the buoyant force.
how does the normal balance report both the weight of water plus the buoyant force??
may be due to the increase in pressure at the base f the tank due to rise in water,this indicades an increase in the total force affecting the base of the top ,thus increasing the reading of the normal balance.
Is it because water rises in the tank?does it measures the weight of water + weight of water that rises?how about the weight of this suspended ball?
3.- Same as 2, except that there is water displaced.
but this doesn't tell me why the buoyant force is different in case(2) and case(3) although the ball already displaced the same volume of water-so buoyancy should be the same

4-In case(3)
The spring reads zero
which means that Fb=Fg
so the body should suspend in water instead of sinking ...or may be the spring is exerting a certain force to maintain the ball in this position.may be this question is related to the first one which is concerned with the mechanism of the spring balance

I still don't know the answer to this question.

From the readings, I gather this ball definitely sinks in water. In other words, the long line from the top scale down to the ball could be a rope and it would still work this way.
if the body floats,then it would suspend in case 4 instead of sinkning in the bottom (Fg=Fb) true?or I still don't understand how this ballance works ?
 
Let's supposed the you can reach the ceiling of the room you are in and you place a balance on the floor and you weigh yourself...how much do you weigh?

Now, raise your arms and push against the ceiling...how much does the balance reports?

It's the same when the ball is mid-water...because of Archimedes, the water exerts an upwards force on the ball, but because the ball will not float and go up, instead it stays where it is, then the balance under the water reports the weight of the water, plus the reaction force of pushing the ball up that will not move.

does this help?

Oh, and...

3.- Same as 2, except that there is water displaced.

I meant to say:

3.- Same as 2, except that there is LESS water displaced.
 
Now, raise your arms and push against the ceiling...how much does the balance reports?
It would report much force,my weight + the force that i apply on the ceiling
correct?
 
yeap
 

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