SOGERI NSOE

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
GR 12 PHYSICS – EXPERIMENT # 1 – TERM 2 2024

ARCHIMEDES’ PRINCIPLE
Purpose
a. To study buoyant force as a function of submersed volume.
b. To verify Archimedes’ Principle.
c. To use Archimedes’ Principle to determine the densities of a solid sample and a liquid
sample.

Theory
a. Buoyancy and Archimedes’ Principle
When an object is submerged in a fluid, it experiences a buoyant force, 𝐹𝐵 . This buoyant force is
the resultant of the pressure-based forces on the surfaces of the submerged object. The pressure is higher
at greater depths in the fluid, and thus the buoyant force is directed upward.

Figure 1. The buoyant force B is the resultant of the pressure-based forces.

Archimedes’ Principle, which is derived in your textbooks, states that the magnitude of the buoyant
force is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the submerged object.

𝐹𝐵 = Wdisplaced-fluid = mdisplaced-fluid g = fluid Vdisplaced-fluid g . (1)

If the object is completely submerged in the fluid, the volume of displaced fluid is equal to the volume of
the submerged object: Vdisplaced-fluid = Vobject. Then

𝐹𝐵 = fluid Vobject g . (2)

If the object is partially submerged, Vdisplaced-fluid = partial volume of the object that is submersed. For a
cylindrical solid object of uniform cross section area (A), if the cylinder is immersed in a fluid along the
axis of the cylinder and h is the height of the object in the fluid,
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 B = fluid Vimmersed g = fluid Ah g. (3)
b. Effect of buoyancy on measurements of mass
When an object is hung from a scale, the reading of the scale, mapparent, is based on the tension in
the wire connecting the object to the scale: Wapparent = mapparent g = Twire. Normally, Twire = Wobject =
mobject g, and the reading of scale, mapparent, is an accurate measurement of mobject.
However, if the object is hung from the scale while submerged in a fluid, then Twire < Wobject
because of the contribution of the buoyant force B. Specifically, writing down the balance of the forces
on the object (see Figure 2):
0 = Fy = Twire + 𝐹𝐵 – Wobject .

Figure 2. The equilibrium of forces on an object hanging from a scale while submerged.

Since the scale reading is always based on Twire,

Wapparent = Twire = Wobject – 𝐹𝐵 .

𝐹𝐵 = Wobject – Wapparent (4)

The apparent weight of a submerged object is less than its actual weight, and the difference between
these weights is the buoyant force.
What will happen to the apparent weight if the object is partially submerged?
In this lab we will measure apparent weight of objects in different conditions to verify Archimedes’
Principle as well as use this principle to determine the density of solid and liquid samples.

Apparatus
Spring scale, aluminum cylinder block, Tall graduated cylinder, tripod stand, clamp, Triple beam balance,
Vernier calipers, metal cylinder with copper wire attached, wooden block, beaker, tap water, liquid X,
paper towels for drying.

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Description of Apparatus
You will use a Spring Scale and a laboratory jack as shown in Figure 3(a) to perform part I of the
experiment. The spring scale is attached to a clamp on a stand. At the lower end of the spring scale, a
metal cylinder is hung. The spring scale reads the apparent weight of the object. The cylinder is slowly
submerged in a fluid in a tall graduated cylinder placed on a laboratory jack. The height of the jack can be
adjusted by rotating the knob on the side of the jack to change the level of submerge.
For other parts of the experiments, you will use a Triple Beam Balance to perform this experiment
as shown in Figure 3 (b). It is a mechanical balance. It has a beam which is supported by a fulcrum. On
one side of the fulcrum is a pan on which the object is placed. On the other side, the beam is split into
three parallel beams. The beam remains balanced when net torque on both sides are equal. In measuring
the mass of an object weight blocks on triple beams are adjusted to balance the beam.
Remember the torque due to a same force (weight) can be increased by increasing the distance from the
fulcrum.
The far beam reads only in 100 g increments. The middle beam reads only in 10 g increments.
The weight blocks in these two beams must always sit in a "notch". They cannot be placed at arbitrary
points on the beam. The weight on the front beam can be placed to read continuously from 0 to 10 grams.
The balance should be placed on a leveled surface to use it. Before measuring you should check if the
balance is properly zeroed. When all the weight blocks on triple beam are at zero gram position, the mark
at the end of the triple beam must stay at Zero. You can adjust a knob at the other end of the beam to
bring the mark to zero position.
You can measure the mass by putting an object on the hanging pan or hanging the object. There
is also a adjustable plateform (see figure) that allows us to measure mass in a liquid.

(b) (a)
Clamp
100 g
Spring
Scale

Laboratory
80 g Stand
Aluminum Adjustable
Solid
plateform

Tall-form
graduated
cylinder

Calipers

Laboratory
Hanging pan
Jack

Figure 3. (a) Using the spring scale to measure buoyant force by varying submerge of a cylinder.
(b) Using the triple beam balance to measure the apparent mass of a submerged cylinder.

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Procedure
Part I. Studying buoyant force with partially immersed volume
In this part of the experiment, you will study how the buoyant force varies when a solid object is slowly
submerged into a liquid.
1. Hang the solid aluminum block on the spring scale.
2. Fill the 1000 mL graduated cylinder to exactly 600 mL with water and put it on the laboratory
jack. Adjust the height of the tripod stand and hang the spring balance ensure that graduated
cylinder is well below the hanging object on the spring scale.
3. Now, align the graduated cylinder so that the aluminum block does not touch the cylinder wall
when moving down. Adjust the clamp so that the mass hangs just above the water level (not
touching the water).
4. Record the reading on the spring scale in the Table 1 for the initial value (0 mL).
5. Adjust the clamp to submerge the aluminum mass in the water until there is a 20 mL change in
volume on the graduated cylinder. Record the corresponding reading from the spring scale in the
Table 1.
6. Repeat the previous step 5 with 20 mL increments until the entire block is submerged.

Part II. Verifying Archimedes’ Principle

7. Measure the diameter and height of the metal cylinder (assume that it is perfect cylinder
block by ignoring base with hollow and top pin for hanging) with the calipers. You will use
these values to determine the volume of the cylinder.
8. Use the triple beam balance to measure the mass of the metal cylinder. Determine the mass of the
cylinder from the scale and record in Table 2.
9. Place the metal cylinder in a beaker with tap water so that it is completely submerged in the
water and record the apparent weight (spring balance). Record the reading and remove the
cylinder and dry it.

Part III. Determining the volume and density of the wooden block using Archimedes’ Principle
10. If you just put a wooden block in water, it will float. Why do you think it floats on water?
To submerge the wooden block into water, first place the wooden block on the triple beam balance
and determine its mass. Record your measurement in Table 3.
Note that the block has a complicated shape, so that its volume would be difficult to determine using
the calipers.
11. Place the lower end of the block into the hollow at the base of the aluminum block. Suspend Hang
them on the spring balance. Ensure that the cylinder-block combination is fully submerged in
water. Record the reading of the submerged cylinder-block combination. You can also determine
mass of the wooden block from your previously measured mass of the metal cylinder.

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Part IV. For determining the density of liquid X using Archimedes’ Principle.
12. Now, place a beaker of liquid X on the triple beam balance and record the mass (mass of beaker
is given) and volume and hang the metal cylinder on the spring balance and completely
submerged in liquid X. Record the apparent reading of the weight and mass of submerged
cylinder in Table 4. Remove the cylinder and dry it.

Extra activities
1. Measure the volume of the wooden block by submerging it in a graduated beaker of water.
Since the block naturally floats, you will need to hold it under the water using something of
negligible volume, like a wire. Compare this measured wooden block volume to the volume
determined using Archimedes’ Principle.
2. Measure the density of liquid X by utilizing the mass and volume obtained in part IV. Compare
your measured liquid X density to the value determined using Archimedes’ Principle.

Computation
1. For part I of the experiment, calculate the buoyant force for each volume in the Table 1 using
Eq. 4.
2. From the data in the table, plot a graph of buoyant force, 𝐹𝐵 , as a function of V. Make sure to
label the axes appropriately. Does the graph look linear?
3. Draw a best fit line and find the slope of the line. What is the significance of the slope?
From the slope the graph, determine the density of the water.
4. For other parts of the experiments, calculate and complete the tables based on the data from the
measurements. Densities of the metal cylinder and water will be provided. Include your results
in your report.
5. One of the achievements of Archimedes was the ability to determine the volume of an object by
measuring the volume of water displaced upon being submerged. In this lab, you applied
Archimedes principle to measure the volume of the cylinder and in addition, the volume of the
block. Use a set of calipers to measure both the volume of the cylinder and the volume of the
block. Compare your experimentally determine volume for the cylinder and the block by
Archimedes principle to that determined using the calipers. Be sure to check this prior to
leaving the laboratory. Discuss the data in the lab report.
6. While the density of wood varies, how does your measured density for the wooden block
compare to known values? You can look up some common wood densities on the internet.
Discuss your data in the lab report.

Questions
1. If a string is attached instead of the spring scale in part I of the experiment, how does the tension
in the string vary if the cylinder is slowly submerged into the liquid?
2. What do you expect the slope of the curve in part I if salt water is used instead of fresh water?
3. When using the scale to measure the mass of the cylinder in step 8, does it experience a buoyant
force due to its immersion in air? If so, approximate the magnitude of this buoyant force.
4. When using the scale to measure the submerged cylinder in step (a)3, does it matter if the cylinder
touches the bottom of the beaker in which it is submerged? How would such contact affect your
measurement, if at all?

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 Data Sheets
Date experiment performed: ______________________________

Name of the group members:

1. 5.

2 6.

3. 7.

4. 8

Table 1. Studying buoyant force with partially immersed volume

Volume Spring Scale Buoyant

Immersed, V Reading, Wapp Force, B
(mL) (N) (N)

0
20
40
60

From the graph of buoyant force (B) versus volume (V) (attach the graphing paper)
Slope of the curve =
Density of the liquid =

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Tables for measurements and calculations (measurements in shaded boxes)
Table 2 for verifying Archimedes’ Principle for cylinder submerged in water

Mass of cylinder (measured in g, converted to kg)

Weight of cylinder Wcylinder (calculated in N)
Apparent mass of cylinder submerged in water (measured in g, converted
to kg)
Apparent weight for cylinder submerged in water (calculated in N)
Buoyant force, 𝐹𝐵 , based on difference between Wcylinder-apparent and
Wcylinder (calculated in N)
Diameter of cylinder (measured in mm, converted to m)
Height of cylinder (measured in mm, converted to m)
Volume of cylinder (calculated in m3)
Buoyant force, 𝐹𝐵 , based on Archimedes’s Principle
Percent error between 𝐹𝐵 measured with scale and 𝐹𝐵 based on
Archimedes’ Principle

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 Table 3 for using Archimedes’ Principle to determine the volume and density of a solid object

Mass of wooden block (measured in g, converted to kg)

Weight of block Wblock (calculated in N)
Weight of cylinder Wcylinder (in N), taken from table above
Apparent mass of block and cylinder submerged together in water
(measured in g, converted to kg)
Apparent weight for block and cylinder submerged together in
water (calculated in N)
Buoyant force, 𝐹𝐵 , on cylinder and block, based on difference
between actual weight and apparent weight (calculated in N)
Volume of cylinder and block together, based on 𝐹𝐵 and
Archimedes’ Principle (calculated in m3)
Volume of cylinder (in m3), taken from table above
Volume of block by itself (calculated in m3)
Density of block (calculated in kg/m3)

Table 4 for using Archimedes’ Principle to determine the density of a fluid

Weight of cylinder Wcylinder (in N), taken from first table

Apparent mass of cylinder submerged in liquid X (measured in g,
converted to kg)
Apparent weight for cylinder submerged in liquid X (calculated
in N)
Buoyant force, B, based on difference between Wcylinder-apparent
and Wcylinder (calculated in N)
Volume of cylinder (in m3), taken from first table
Density of liquid X based on Archimedes’s Principle (calculated in
m3 )

Note: Provide the Scientific Lab Report and attach it with these data sheet. It must be Computerized.
- Due Week 5 Friday

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