Final answer:
The question is about the buoyant force acting on a bubble in the ocean, which is explained by Archimedes' principle. The bubble floats because the buoyant force (8 N) is greater than its weight and the water resistance combined (5 N).
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Buoyant Force
The question revolves around the concept of buoyancy in physics, specifically relating to Archimedes' principle. Spongebob blows a bubble with a force of 4 N, which floats upward due to a buoyant force of 8 N against water resistance of 1 N. By Archimedes' principle, the weight of the water displaced by the bubble is equivalent to the buoyant force that acts upward on the bubble. If the buoyant force exceeds the combined weight of the object and any additional forces such as water resistance, the object will float, as is the case with Spongebob's bubble.
For a more generalized understanding, consider a large amount of water being displaced: Ww = mwg = (1.28 × 106 kg) (9.80 m/s²), which calculates to a buoyant force of 1.3 × 107 N. This principle applies regardless of the scale, whether it's a small bubble or a massive submerged object. The crucial point is that the buoyant force is always there, exerting an upward push against gravity, and is determined by the amount of fluid displaced by the object.