Define buoyancy.

Define buoyancy.

• A. The upward force on an object due to displaced fluid, equal to the weight of the displaced fluid
• B. The weight of the object
• C. The volume of the object
• D. The downward force of gravity

Answer: (A)

Buoyancy is the upward force that a fluid exerts on an object immersed in it, arising from pressure differences within the fluid as depth changes. According to Archimedes’ principle, this buoyant force equals the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. This is why floating objects settle at a position where the weight of the displaced fluid matches the object's weight, and why an object sinks if its weight exceeds the buoyant force. The other options—weight of the object (the downward pull of gravity), the volume of the object (a measure of size, not a force), and the downward force of gravity (weight)—are not buoyancy.

Buoyancy is the upward force that a fluid exerts on an object immersed in it, arising from pressure differences within the fluid as depth changes. According to Archimedes’ principle, this buoyant force equals the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. This is why floating objects settle at a position where the weight of the displaced fluid matches the object's weight, and why an object sinks if its weight exceeds the buoyant force. The other options—weight of the object (the downward pull of gravity), the volume of the object (a measure of size, not a force), and the downward force of gravity (weight)—are not buoyancy.