Weight of ball/water/cylinder system as the ball falls

AI Thread Summary
When a steel ball is dropped into a water-filled cylinder on a scale, the total weight measured by the scale remains constant throughout the process. Initially, the weight does not change when the ball is submerged, as the buoyant force counteracts the ball's weight. Upon impact with the bottom, the normal force from the bottom of the cylinder does change, but this does not affect the overall weight measured by the scale. The forces acting on the ball, including gravity and buoyancy, remain balanced throughout the scenario. Thus, the weight on the scale reflects the combined weight of the ball, water, and cylinder at all times.
jordanstreet
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Homework Statement



So you have a cylinder filled with water sitting on a scale. You take a steel ball and drop it in the water. So does the weight on the scale:

1)Immediately change and stay constant including when the ball comes to rest on the bottom
2)Increase immediately when the ball is fully submerged and then increase again when it hits the bottom.
3)Some thing else?

Homework Equations



F=MA
Fb=Weight of water displaced

The Attempt at a Solution



I'm thinking that the weight stays constant the whole once its fully submerged.
 
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Try to think in terms of force acting on the ball.

The ball is moving downward, and then when it hits the water, what happens?

The ball is moving downward in the water, and then when it strikes the bottom, what happens?
 
The ball starts fully submerged.

In terms of the cylinder system the total weight of the ball + water + cylinder acts downward the whole time. Does the normal force from the bottom of the cylinder change when the ball hits it? If so wouldn't that change the weight of the whole system since gravity and buoyant force are the same the whole time for the ball?
 
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