Re: [Phys-l] buoyancy on a submerged pole

[Chuck Britton <cvbritton@embarqmail.com>]

	(an off-list exchange - posted without permission - hope it's ok)

At 10:14 AM -0400 11/3/10, bennett bennett wrote:
> The way I see it,  the force of fluid pressure on solid is normal to 
> the surface at all points, so the anchored pole, (with no water 
> pushing on the bottom surface), is not lifted by the water on its 
> side, unless the water is viscous and moving upward.
>
> If there is a notch, the pressure on the non-vertical surfaces of 
> the notch will stretch only the thin part of the pole, but the up 
> and down forces will be equal, since the vertical components of the 
> forces on the surfaces of the notch are equal.

And the way _*I*_ see it is that the top of the (totally) submerged 
pole doesn't give a flying-flip what's going on at the bottom of the 
pole.
The top of the pole 'wants' to float, and it WILL if given a chance.

How does the complicated contact force at the bottom change what's 
going on with the rest of the object??
	(Still scratching my head vigorously)

.