DEPARTMENT OF PHYSCIS

COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES

ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY

Experiment 4

The Archimedes’ Principle

Date of experiment: Nov\26\2024

Date of submission: Dec\10\2024

Group No:

Group members

NAME ID NO SECTION
SIGNATURE

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Name of instructor:
Name of lab Assistant:

Title: Archimedes’ Principle

Purpose:

The purpose of this experiment is to understand buoyancy; to explore why some object float
while others sink,leading to deeper understanding of density and buoyant force. This
experiment is done to learn the fundamental concepts in physics and fluid dynamics. It
provide a hand-on approach for learning and demonstration of scientific method. This
experiment is done to validate the principle by measuring the buoyancy experienced by
submerged object and comparing it to the weight of water displaced.

Materials:

Items Quantity

Triple Beam Balance with string 1

Graduated Cylinder 1

Brass Cylinder 1

Overflow Container 1

Spouted Can 1

Balance 1

Tap water 1

Theory:

Archimedes principle is fundamental in fluid mechanics and has application in various field
including; engineering, physics and the design of ships and submarines.

Archimedes' Principle:states that any object partially or fully immersed in a fluid (liquid or
gas) experiences a buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.
This principle helps explain why objects float or sink in fluids.

In more detail, if an object is placed in a fluid, it will push some of the fluid out of the way
(displace it). The fluid will then exert an upward force (the buoyant force) on the object. If
the buoyant force is greater than the weight of the object, the object will float. If it is less,
the object will sink. If the buoyant force equals the weight of the object, it will remain
suspended at that level in the fluid.
Prediction:

It was predicted that the result of this experiment would agree with Archimedes’ principle.

METHODS

PART 1: Overflow Method

1. We first set the triple-beam balance to zero

2. We measured the mass of the brass cylinder in air. We determined the weight of brass
(Wbrass).

3. We placed the overflow container on the triple beam balance and read off its mass.

4. We filled the spouted can with water and positioned it so that water poured into the
overflow container.

5. We immersed the brass cylinder fully in the water and collected the displaced water in
the overflow container.

6. We measured the mass of the overflow container again and calculated the mass of the
displaced water and we calculated its weight using the buoyant force formula, (FB =
ρ(water)Vdispg).

7. We calculated the density of brass using: ρbrass= M(brass)/V(brass) = ρw(Wbrass/FB).

PART 2: Direct Measurement of Mass

1. We calibrated the triple beam balance and took the least count.

2. We tied a string to the balance.

3. We suspended the brass cylinder from the string attached to the balance.

4. We filled the overflow container with water partially.

5. We carefully immersed the brass cylinder without touching the container.

6. We measured its apparent mass and measured its weight using 𝑊′𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑠 = 𝑚′𝑔.

7. We determined the buoyant force using 𝑊𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑠 − 𝑊𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑠.

8. We calculated 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑠 using M(brass)/V(brass) = ρw(Wbrass/FB).

PART 3: Displacement Method - Volume

1. We partially filled the graduated cylinder with water and took note of the water
level(𝑉𝑖). We also noted the least count of the graduated cylinder.

2.We carefully immersed the brass cylinder in the water and read off the new water
level(𝑉𝑓).

and𝑉𝑖 (𝑉𝑓 − 𝑉𝑖).

3.We determined the volume of the brass cylinder by taking the difference between𝑉

4.We determined 𝐹𝐵 on the brass cylinder with the equation 𝐹⃗𝐵 = 𝜌𝑤𝑉𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑔⃗.

5.We calculated 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑠 using 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑠=M(brass)/V(brass) = ρw(Wbrass/FB).

6.We removed and dried the brass cylinder, emptied the graduated cylinder and dried it
with a paper towel and repeated our measurement two more times.

Data and Data Analysis:

Discussion and conclusion:

The experiment aimed to validate Archimedes' principle through three different methods: the
overflow method, direct measurement method, and displacement method. Each approach
provided insight into the principles of buoyancy and density.

Experiment 1: Overflow Method

The mass of brass in air was measured and the weight was calculated according to the
formula:

W =mg

The volume of water was measured and the buoyant force was calculated as:

FB ¿ ρ w V disp g

The density of brass was calculated as:

W B × ρW
ρ B=
FB

The Uncertainty was calculated as:

Measured Value−TruthValue
Percentage Uncertainity ( Error )=( )
TruthValue

This method used the volume of water displaced by the submerged brass cylinder to calculate
buoyant force and density. The mean density of brass calculated was 8374.066 kg/m3. The
mean Uncertainty was calculated as -0.3%. While this method was straightforward, it was
slightly prone to errors due to spillage or incomplete collection of displaced water. The
results, however, aligned well with Archimedes' principle.
Experiment 2: Direct method of mass

The weight of brass in air was determined by the formula

W Brass∈ air=mBrass∈ air g

The weight of brass in water was determined by the formula

W Brass∈ water=m Brass∈water g

The Uncertainty was calculated as:

Measured Value−TruthValue
Percentage Uncertainity ( Error )=( )
TruthValue

This method calculated the buoyant force by measuring the apparent weight loss of the
brass cylinder when submerged. It yielded a mean density of 8521.887 kg/m3, with a mean
error of 1.229%. This approach provided the most accurate results among the three
methods, as it reduced experimental uncertainties related to water displacement.

Experiment 3: Displacement method – volume

The Volume of object was determined by:

V =V f −V i, where V f and V i are final volume and initial volume respectively

The buoyant force was calculated as:

FB ¿ ρ w V g

The density of brass was calculated as:

mB
ρ B=
V

The Uncertainty was calculated as:

Measured Value−TruthValue
Percentage Uncertainity ( Error )=( )
TruthValue

This approach involved determining the volume of the brass cylinder by immersing it in a
graduated cylinder filled with water. The mean density calculated was 8983.415 kg/m3, with a
mean error of 6.9%. Although simple, this method was less precise due to challenges in
accurately measuring the volume displacement.
The direct measurement method was the most accurate and consistent, aligning closely with
the expected density of brass. The overflow method also produced reliable results but was
slightly less precise due to procedural challenges. The displacement method, while
conceptually sound, introduced greater errors, likely due to the difficulty in accurately
reading small changes in water level and potential parallax errors.

Post lab Questions

1. Sketch a free-body diagram for an object that is floating in water.

How much water does it displace? Does it displace its volume in
water? Does it displace its weight in water?

 Volume Displaced: The object displaces a volume of water whose weight is equal to the
object's weight. The displaced water volume depends on the object's density relative to water.

 Does it displace its volume in water?

No, a floating object displaces only part of its volume in water. The exact portion depends on
the object's density relative to water. If the object is less dense than water, it displaces a
smaller volume to achieve buoyant equilibrium.

 Does it displace its weight in water?

Yes, always. A floating object displaces an amount of water equal in weight to its own
weight, as required by Archimedes' principle. This is why the upward buoyant force equals
the downward gravitational force.

2. Sketch a free-body diagram for an object that is submerged in

water. How much water does it displace? Does it displace its volume
in water? Does it displace its weight in water?
 Volume Displaced:
A completely submerged object displaces a volume of water equal to its own volume. This is
because the object is fully surrounded by water.

 Does it displace its volume in water?

Yes, always. When an object is submerged, it displaces a volume of water exactly equal to its
own volume, regardless of its density.

 Does it displace its weight in water?

Not always. If the object's weight (FgF_gFg) is greater than the buoyant force (FBF_BFB), it
will sink. If the object's weight is equal to the buoyant force, it will remain neutrally buoyant
(hovering at that depth). Thus, the displaced water's weight matches the object's weight only
if the object is neutrally buoyant.

3. A nugget gold and a block of aluminum of the same volume are

immersed in water. Which object experiences the greater buoyant
force?

The gold nugget and the aluminum block experience the same buoyant force, as they displace the
same volume of water.

4. A ship made of steel (steel = 7.8_103kg=m3 will float in water.

Explain, in terms of densities, how this is possible.

A steel ship floats because its average density (considering the air-filled spaces) is less than the
density of water. This design ensures that the upward buoyant force matches the downward
gravitational force, keeping the ship afloat despite being made of a dense material.

5. A ship at a sea port is taken out of the water. Does the water at the
shore rise, fall, or stay at the same level? Explain, in terms of
Archimedes’ principle (density, volume, or weight), why this
happens.

When the ship is removed, the water at the shore falls because the ship no longer displaces water
equivalent to its weight. The displaced volume of water reduces, leading to a slight drop in the water
level at the shore.

Conclusion

The experiment successfully validated Archimedes' principle, demonstrating that the buoyant
force acting on an object is equal to the weight of the displaced fluid. Among the methods,
the direct measurement method provided the most accurate and consistent results, confirming
its effectiveness for such studies. The observed errors across all methods were within
acceptable limits, underscoring the reliability of the experimental data.

Overall, the experiment deepened the understanding of buoyancy and density, reinforcing the
foundational role of Archimedes' principle in physics and engineering applications. Future
iterations of this experiment could focus on minimizing procedural errors, such as water
spillage or parallax errors, to further enhance accuracy.

References:

1. Daniel O., Joseph U., Harrison O. and Ambrose E. (2017). Archimedes principle and
the law of floatation.
2. Raymond A. S. and Chris V. (2018). College Physics. 11ed. Boston, USA: Cengage
Learning. Articles.
3. Mohazzabi, P. (2017). Archimedes’ Principle Revisited. Journal of applied
mathematics and physics
4. Jeffrey B. and Eric K. (2003) . Reconsidering Archimedes’ principle. The physics
teacher