Archimedes' principle

An immersed body experiences an upward buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. This principle explains why objects float, sink, or remain suspended.

Buoyancy: The upward force exerted by a fluid on an immersed or floating body. Archimedes' principle quantifies this force as the weight of displaced fluid.
Force: An interaction that can change an object's motion or deform it. Buoyancy is a force acting upward on an immersed body.
Hydrometer: An instrument that measures liquid density by how deeply it floats. Its immersion depth changes according to the buoyant force in each liquid.
Archimedes: An ancient Greek mathematician, engineer, and scientist from Syracuse. The principle bears his name and is traditionally linked to his study of floating bodies.
Buoyancy misconception: The mistaken idea that floating depends only on an object's shape or that buoyancy equals its weight in every case. The principle ties buoyant force to displaced fluid, not shape alone.
Hydrostatic pressure: Pressure exerted by a fluid at rest, increasing with depth. Pressure differences across an immersed body create its net upward buoyant force.
Weight: The gravitational force exerted on an object. The principle equates buoyant force with the weight of displaced fluid.
Ship buoyancy: The buoyant support that allows a vessel to float despite its mass. A ship floats when its hull displaces enough water to balance its weight.
On Floating Bodies: A treatise by Archimedes that analyzes the equilibrium of floating bodies. It contains the earliest surviving systematic treatment of hydrostatics and floating bodies.
Pascal's law: The principle that pressure changes applied to a confined fluid are transmitted throughout the fluid. It concerns pressure transmission, while Archimedes' principle concerns the net force from pressure differences.

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