Question

Two blocks with the same weight but different dimensions are floating in water at different levels.

Block A is as tall as block B but is smaller in both other dimensions.

A B Is the buoyant force exerted by the water on block A () greater than, (ii) less than, or (ii) equal to the buoyant force on block B?

Explain your reasoning.

Answer 1

The buoyant force is equal for both blocks A and B because, according to Archimedes' principle, the buoyant force equals the weight of the fluid displaced and both blocks have the same weight.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks whether the buoyant force on block A is greater than, less than, or equal to the buoyant force on block B, given that both blocks have the same weight but different dimensions. According to Archimedes' principle, the buoyant force on an object equals the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. Since both blocks A and B have the same weight and are floating, they must displace an amount of water with a weight equal to their own. Therefore, the buoyant force must be equal for both blocks regardless of their dimensions. This assumes that both blocks are completely submerged or floating in such a way that the weight of the displaced water equals the weight of the blocks.

Answer 2

(ii) less than

Step-by-step explanation:

The blocks has the same mass. So, the buoyant force depends only on the volume of the displaced fluid. Since block A has a smaller volume than block B, it displaces a smaller amount of fluid. Therefore the bouyant force exerted by water is less in block A than in block B.