[Phys-L] Re: buoyancy

[Carl Mungan <mungan@USNA.EDU>]

> It's helpful to review four buoyancy cases:
> 1) It floats
> 2) it sinks
> 3) It would sink, but is suspended by a thread or some such.
> 4) it hangs in the middle of the water.
>
> If there is no other support for the wetware, all its weight shows
>   up on the container.  Case 1) 2) 4)

There is of course an obvious exception to this "no support" rule:

5) it is accelerating under the influence of gravity & buoyancy
either toward the bottom or top of the fluid container

This should be contrasted with what happens once it reaches terminal
speed. Carl
--
Carl E. Mungan, Asst. Prof. of Physics  410-293-6680 (O) -3729 (F)
       U.S. Naval Academy, Stop 9C, Annapolis, MD 21402-5040
mailto:mungan@usna.edu       http://usna.edu/Users/physics/mungan/