Archimedes’ Principle

Abstract

Poster frame from video. View  and/or download video below.
Poster frame from video. View
and/or download video below.

The buoyant force on a submerged block is measured along with the force applied by the block on the liquid.

Portable

Yes

Principles Illustrated

Archimedes Principle, Newton’s Third Law, balanced forces.

Video

Download video (right-click and “save link as”): Archimedes.m4v

NCEA & Science Curriculum

PHYS 1.1, PHYS 1.2 (starting point for investigations)

Instructions

Setup with force plate, data logger, and data projector for a large classroom.

Lower an aluminium block into the water. The spring scale reading decreases (Archimedes Principle) and the force plate reading increases by the same amount (Newton III reaction to the buoyant force exerted by the water on the block). Aluminium is a good material to use because its density is approximately 2.7 times that of water (depending on the alloy). Steel is too dense and the spring scale reading does not change enough when the block is lowered into water.

Set up for a small classroom using  an electronic scale.
Set up for a small classroom using
an electronic scale.
Apparatus with data projected  on a screen in background.
Apparatus with data projected
on a screen in background.

Powerpoint and Datalogger Setup

Powerpoint (right-click and “save link as”): Arch.ppt

Contact us for the Vernier datalogger (.cmbl) file.

Safety

Be very careful with water near electronics.

Individual teachers are responsible for safety in their own classes. Even familiar demonstrations should be practised and safety-checked by individual teachers before they are used in a classroom.

Related Resources

Teaching Resources

Would you like to contribute lesson suggestions? Contact us.

References

PIRA 2B40.10

Credits

This teaching resource was developed with support from

The MacDiarmid Institute
Faculty of Science, Victoria University of Wellington
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington

Copyright

Copyright and fair use statement