The cause of buoyancy in terms of the molecules

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SUMMARY

Buoyancy is fundamentally caused by the increase in fluid density with depth, leading to a greater number of fluid molecules exerting pressure from below an object than from above. This pressure differential results in an upward buoyant force. The compressibility of the object also plays a role; for instance, water is significantly more compressible than copper, which affects the overall buoyancy experienced by the object. Understanding these principles is essential for accurately assessing buoyancy in various materials.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of fluid density and pressure dynamics
  • Knowledge of material compressibility and its effects
  • Familiarity with basic principles of buoyancy
  • Concept of molecular density in fluids
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the relationship between fluid density and pressure in different fluids
  • Explore the compressibility of various materials, focusing on metals and liquids
  • Study Archimedes' principle and its applications in real-world scenarios
  • Investigate the molecular structure of fluids and how it affects buoyancy
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, engineers working with fluid dynamics, and anyone interested in the principles of buoyancy and material science.

TheLil'Turkey
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I think that buoyancy is caused by the increase of density with depth (the deeper you go, the more molecules there are per unit volume). Therefore an object in a fluid will be hit by more of the fluid molecules from below than from above (even if the difference is only a tiny fraction of 1%). Is this correct?
 
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Right, but the object is likely compressed more then water so the buoyancy of the object is decreased?
 
It depends what the object is made out of. I just looked up water and copper and water is an order of magnitude more compressible.

I still don't feel 100% convinced that my hypothesis in the OP is correct.
 

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