Making sure my intuition is correct about buoyant force

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of buoyant force and the factors influencing it, particularly focusing on how pressure is calculated at different depths in a fluid. Participants explore the relationship between the height of an object submerged in a fluid and the resulting pressures acting on it.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confusion about why the height for calculating pressure is taken from the top of the water to the bottom of the cube, rather than from the bottom of the water to the bottom of the cube.
  • Another participant emphasizes that fluid pressure at any point depends on the depth below the surface, not the height above a reference point.
  • A different participant confirms that the second picture correctly represents the relationship between pressures at different points, indicating that pressure increases with depth.
  • It is noted that the pressure on the cube remains constant regardless of its distance from the bottom, as long as the depth below the surface is the same.
  • A participant reflects on their initial misunderstanding, attributing it to a misvisualization of the upward force and its implications for resultant forces.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the principle that fluid pressure is determined by depth, but there is some confusion regarding the visualization and interpretation of forces acting on submerged objects.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the reference points for pressure calculations and the implications of those reference points on buoyant force are not fully resolved.

Genericcoder
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Hi I want to make sure my intuition is correct about the buoyant force.
What I am confused by if we take a cube or some sort of object and its submerged at height H1 as in picture I uploaded,then their will be a force of P1 * A; in case of the cube it's it would be d^2. What I don't understand or I am not sure that my intuition is correct is this is why the height of H2(height 2 not Hydrogen gas :D) is taken from the top of the water to bottom of the cube instead of bottom of the water to the bottom of the cube as picture 2 represent.

My intuition to this is as follows since the upward pressure P2 is same throughout the liquid then P2 if taken from frame of reference from above of the beaker it would be the same that if taken from frame of reference from bottom of the beaker as picture 2 represent.Is that intuition is correct ?


Please look at picture as they explain better than I do.
Thanks in advance.
 

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What matters is the fluid pressure at any point. That pressure depends on the depth below the surface, not the height above some bottom point.
 
Second picture is correct. So, for the pressure in point 1 you will take h1, and for the pressure in pont 2 you will take (h1+h2). O course, pressure in the point 2 will be greater than pressure in the point 1, and you will have resultant force upward. Now you have to calculate weight and you will see will the body be stable, go up, go down, or whatever..
 
The key point is that the pressure on the cube will be the same regardless of its distance from the bottom as long as its depth below the surface is the same. The height above the bottom of the container has no bearing on the fluid pressure.
 
I see what made me think this way about picture 1 is because is an upward force so I didn't visualize it correctly because I thought if its taken from bottom then it would make the resultant force upward not downward that's what made me confused.
 

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