Download Archimedes’ Principle - Physical Science Laboratory | SCI 3110L and more Lab Reports Physics in PDF only on Docsity! Archimedes’ Principle Archimedes’ principle states that the buoyant force exerted on an immersed object is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. 1. Make a loop of string from a 1-m piece of string. The loop should be about 45 cm long. Hang the string across the pan of a platform balance. Attach a golf ball to the string with a small piece of tape and find the mass of the ball and tape. ____________kg 2. Convert the mass to weight using the formula, w = mg ___________N 3. Fill a beaker about 2/3 full of water and submerge the ball, hanging from the string, in the beaker. 4. Does the mass reading change? ________Why? ________________ 5. Record the mass of the ball in the water ___________ kg 6. Convert the mass to weight _________N 7. Calculate the difference in weight: ___________N. This is the buoyant force. 8. Find the mass of a clean, dry beaker. 9. Fill an overflow can with water and allow the excess water to empty into the beaker. 10.Pour out the excess water and dry the beaker with a paper towel. 11.Set the dry beaker close to the overflow can and carefully place the golf ball (and tape) into the can using a spoon, allowing the displaced water to flow into the beaker. 12.Find the mass of the beaker and displaced water __________kg. 13.Calculate the mass of the displaced water ____________kg. 14.Convert the mass of the displaced water to weight __________N. 15.Find the percent difference between the weight of the displaced water and the buoyant force: (wdw – bf)/bf x 100 = _______________ The Floating Golf Ball One of the implications of Archimedes’ principle is that an object will float in a fluid whose density is equal to or greater than the density of the object. For example, any object whose density is less than or equal to water’s density will float. 1. Use Archimedes’ principle to explain the phrase underlined above: 2. Fill a small beaker half full of water and, using a spoon, carefully lower a golf ball into the water. Does the ball float? What does this experiment tell you about the relative densities of the water and the golf ball? 3. Based on your familiarity with Archimedes’ principle, what condition do you think must be met in order for the ball to float? 4. Add 2 spoonfuls of salt to the water in the beaker and stir until dissolved. Carefully place the golf ball in the water. If it does not float, remove the ball. Add another spoonful of salt and stir until all the salt is dissolved. Replace the ball. Continue this process until the ball is suspended in the solution. Make sure that all the salt is dissolved before you put the ball into the solution. Also make sure that the ball is fully submerged.
