Why Does a System Behave as if It Has a Larger Mass in Water Compared to Air?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around the observation that a system in water appears to have a larger mass compared to the same system in air during a lab on damped oscillations. The key point is that the buoyant force in water affects the net force acting on the system, leading to a lower acceleration when submerged. According to Newton's second law, this results in a calculated mass that seems greater than the actual mass. The difference in acceleration between the two mediums is crucial to understanding this phenomenon. Ultimately, the behavior of the system in water can be attributed to the effects of buoyancy and resistance from the fluid.
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Homework Statement


This problem was presented as part of a lab write up. In the lab we were studying damped oscillations. We were asked to determine the mass indirectly based on values that we measured then compare it to the actual masses. We found that the calculated masses were much greater than the actual masses. The question is:

Explain why the system, that was moving in water, behave as if it has a much larger mass than the same system moving in air?

The Attempt at a Solution



I realize that this is probably a really simple question but for some reason I just cannot figure out an answer, any help would be great.

Sorry if this is in the wrong place.
 
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I can only take an educated guess, not seeing your actual setup or details of the procedure.

From Newton's 2nd Law: m = F/a

How is "a" different in the water vs. in air?
 

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