Upthrust: Weight of Object or Fluid?

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SUMMARY

Upthrust, also known as buoyant force, is defined as the weight of the fluid displaced by an object, according to Archimedes' principle. This principle states that an object submerged in a fluid experiences an upward force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. The discussion clarifies that upthrust does not equal the weight of the object itself; rather, it is the displaced fluid's weight that determines the buoyant force acting on the object. For an object to achieve equilibrium in a fluid, the upthrust must equal the weight of the object.

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  • Understanding of Archimedes' principle
  • Basic knowledge of fluid density and mass
  • Familiarity with concepts of equilibrium in physics
  • Knowledge of forces acting on submerged objects
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coconut62
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I got confused with the Archimedes theory.

I want to ask if upthrust equals to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object, or is it the weight of the object itself?

I thought it should be weight of fluid since fluid has it's own density which determines it's mass which in turns affect the weight acting upwards...But i did came across some people who say that it has to be the actual weight of the object in order to achieve equilibrium. :confused:
 
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If the upthrust always equals the weight, can anybody ever NOT be in equilibrium? And what happens in reality?
 
LOL thanks!
 
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?

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