3.2.25

Archimedes Principle

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The Archimedes Principle

Archimedes was a Greek scientist. He is famous for shouting ‘eureka’ and running through the streets naked after he noticed how his bath overflowed as he stepped into it.

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The Archimedes Principle

  • Archimedes was a Greek scientist who is credited for, among other inventions, the catapult, hydraulic screw, and the Archimedes Principle.
  • The Archimedes Principle states that an object submerged in a liquid experiences an upthrust equal to the weight of the liquid displaced by the object.
    • Upthrust is the force of water (or a gas) pushing up on the object.
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Density

  • Understanding density is key to understanding whether or not an object will sink or float.
  • Density is the amount of particles a substance has in its volume.
  • An object with lots of particles packed into a smaller volume will have a high density.
  • Density is calculated by the equation:
    • Density = mass ÷ volume.
  • As density increases, so does upthrust.
  • Seawater is denser than freshwater.

Jump to other topics

1Biology

1.1Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2Reproduction & Variation

1.3Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4Digestion & Nutrition

1.5Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6Biological Systems & Processes

2Chemistry

2.1Particles

2.2Chemical Reactions

2.3Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4The Periodic Table

2.5Materials & the Earth

2.6Reactivity

2.7Energetics

2.8Properties of Materials

3Physics

3.1Energy

3.2Forces & Motion

3.3Waves

3.4Electricity & Magnetism

3.5Matter

3.6Space Physics

4Disciplinary Knowledge

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