Question

When you float in fresh water, the buoyant force that acts on you is equal to your weight. When you float higher in the denser water of the Dead Sea, the buoyant force that acts on you is:_______.a) greater than your weight.

b) less than your weight.
c) equal to your weight.

Answer 1

a) greater than your weight.

Step-by-step explanation:

The buoyant force on a submerged object is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced. This principle is useful for determining the volume and therefore the density of the substance.

If the buoyant force is greater than the object's weight, the object will rise to the surface and float. If the buoyant force is less than the object's weight, the object will sink.

Illustration:

Salt water weighs more than fresh water, so it exerts a greater upward force on a submerged object. An object that displaces a cubic foot of fresh water will experience an upward force of 62.4 lbs, whereas the same object in salt water will experience an upward force of 64.1 lbs.