Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Buoyancy (/ ˈ b ɔɪ ən s i, ˈ b uː j ən s i /), [1] [2] or upthrust is a net upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of a partially or fully immersed object. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid.
Archimedes' principle shows the buoyant force and displacement of fluid. However, the concept of Archimedes' principle can be applied when considering why objects float. Proposition 5 of Archimedes' treatise On Floating Bodies states that Any floating object displaces its own weight of fluid. —
While this basic idea carried enormous weight and has come to form the basis of understanding why objects float, it is best applied for objects with a characteristic length scale greater than the capillary length. What Archimedes had failed to predict was the influence of surface tension and its impact at small length scales.
The effect is observed in small objects which are supported by the surface of a liquid. There are two types of such objects: objects which are sufficiently buoyant that they will always float on the surface (for example, Cheerios in milk), and objects which are heavy enough to sink when immersed, but not so heavy as to overcome the surface tension of the liquid (for example, steel pins on water).
A Cartesian diver or Cartesian devil is a classic science experiment which demonstrates the principle of buoyancy (Archimedes' principle) and the ideal gas law.The first written description of this device is provided by Raffaello Magiotti, in his book Renitenza certissima dell'acqua alla compressione (Very firm resistance of water to compression) published in 1648.
Diagram illustrating Proposition 8 of On Floating Bodies I.. In the first part of book one, Archimedes establishes various general principles, such as that a solid denser than a fluid will, when immersed in that fluid, be lighter (the "missing" weight found in the fluid it displaces).
Neutral buoyancy occurs when an object's average density is equal to the density of the fluid in which it is immersed, resulting in the buoyant force balancing the force of gravity that would otherwise cause the object to sink (if the body's density is greater than the density of the fluid in which it is immersed) or rise (if it is less).
Float, the act of moving a currency to a floating exchange rate; Cash float, the money in a cash register needed at the beginning of a business day in order to give change to customers; Public float, the total number of shares publicly owned and available for trading, after subtracting restricted shares from the total outstanding shares