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🔋college physics i – introduction review

Submersion

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

Submersion refers to the act of being completely immersed or submerged in a liquid, such as water. In the context of physics, submersion is a crucial concept related to Archimedes' Principle, which describes the buoyant force exerted on an object when it is submerged in a fluid.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

  1. The buoyant force experienced by an object when submerged in a fluid is directly proportional to the volume of the object and the density of the fluid.
  2. The weight of the fluid displaced by the submerged object is equal to the buoyant force acting on the object.
  3. Archimedes' Principle states that the buoyant force on an object is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.
  4. The depth of submersion does not affect the buoyant force, as long as the object is fully submerged.
  5. The density of the fluid relative to the density of the object determines whether the object will sink or float.

Review Questions

  • Explain how the concept of submersion is related to Archimedes' Principle.
    • Archimedes' Principle states that the buoyant force acting on a submerged object is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. This means that when an object is submerged in a fluid, the buoyant force counteracts the weight of the object, causing it to experience an upward force. The volume of the object and the density of the fluid determine the magnitude of the buoyant force, which is a direct consequence of the object being submerged in the fluid.
  • Describe how the depth of submersion affects the buoyant force on an object.
    • According to Archimedes' Principle, the depth of submersion does not affect the buoyant force on an object, as long as the object is fully submerged. The buoyant force is determined by the volume of the object and the density of the fluid, not the depth at which the object is submerged. As long as the object is completely submerged, the buoyant force will remain the same, regardless of the depth of the fluid.
  • Analyze the relationship between the density of the fluid and the density of the object in determining whether the object will sink or float when submerged.
    • The relationship between the density of the fluid and the density of the object is a key factor in determining whether the object will sink or float when submerged. If the density of the object is greater than the density of the fluid, the object will sink. Conversely, if the density of the object is less than the density of the fluid, the object will float. This is because the buoyant force acting on the object is directly proportional to the density of the fluid, and if the buoyant force is greater than the weight of the object, the object will float.