Guiding Questions

Question

1. Why do some objects float?
2. What is buoyant force?
3. What is fluid pressure, and what happens to it as depth increases?
4. What is Archimedes’s principle, and why is it important?
5. What is density, and what happens when density increases?
6. How can you predict whether an object will float or sink in a fluid if you don't know the force of its weight or the buoyant force?
7. What is density a measure of? How does it help determine if an object will sink or float?
8. Why do helium balloons float?
How are ships made of steel able to float?

Answer each question in order, answer in very short sentences, and in bold words

Answer 1

1. Objects float due to their buoyant force being greater than or equal to their weight.

2. Buoyant force is the upward force exerted by a fluid on an object submerged in it.

3. Fluid pressure increases with depth due to the weight of the fluid above.

4. Archimedes’s principle states that an object submerged in a fluid experiences a buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. It is important for understanding floating and sinking.

5. Density is the mass per unit volume of an object. When density increases, it may make the object more likely to sink.

6. You can predict if an object will float or sink by comparing its density to that of the fluid; if it is less dense, it will float.

7. Density is a measure of how compact matter is in an object. It helps determine if an object will sink (if denser than fluid) or float (if less dense).

8. Helium balloons float because the density of helium is less than the density of air.

Ships made of steel float because their overall density, including the air inside, is less than the density of water, allowing for buoyant force to act effectively.