10/5/2019 Three Types of Buoyancy

How Can the Study of Density Be Used in

the Real World?

•••

Updated June 20, 2018 By Allison Boley

Density is a widely used physical property of matter that is technically defined as

mass divided by volume. A feather pillow is less dense than a brick of the same size
because the volume is the same but the mass of the pillow is much less than that of the
brick. You have probably already encountered one of the important practical
applications of density, maybe even without knowing.

Ships and Submarines

One well-known application of density is determining whether or not an object will
float on water. If the object's density is less than the density of water, it will float; if its
density is less than that of water, it will sink. Ships can float because they have ballast
tanks that hold air; these tanks provide large volumes of little mass, thus decreasing
the density of the ship. Together with the buoyant force that the water exerts on the
ship, this reduced density enables the ship to float. In fact, submarines dive below the
surface of the water by emptying their ballast tanks.

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Oil Spills
Like ships, oil floats because it is less dense than water, but unlike ships, oil requires no
special engineering. Oil is naturally less dense than water, which is why even oil and
vinegar salad dressing separates, with the oil floating on the water-based vinegar.
Though oil spills are detrimental to the environment, the ability of oil to float aids
cleanup.

Plumbing Systems
Fluid flow through a pipe is an important real-world application of density governed
by a relation known as Bernoulli's equation. Bernoulli's equation is a special use of the
concept of conservation of energy, and the result is that the density of the fluid affects
the fluid's velocity, pressure, and even its height. All else being equal, a fluid of greater
density will flow through a pipe with a lower pressure, velocity, or height, respectively.
Engineers rely on Bernoulli's equation when they design dams and large-scale
plumbing projects.

Airplane Weight Distribution

Bernoulli's equation also accounts for the ability of an airplane to fly, though this
phenomenon relies primarily on pressure and velocity, not density. However, density
plays an additional role in flight. The weight distribution on board the aircraft changes
as the engines consume fuel, so the density of the plane is not uniform. This loss of
mass results in a shifting center of mass, and pilots must make adjustments during
flight to account for these changes.

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References
• Elmhurst College: Density -- A Physical Property
• NASA: Forces on an Airplane

About the Author

Allison Boley writes both fiction and nonfiction, having placed as a semifinalist in the
international Scriptapalooza Semi-Annual Television Writing Competition. Boley
graduated summa cum laude from the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State
University, where she is concurrently pursuing her doctorate in physics.

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Facts About Density

Facts About Density

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•••

Updated April 24, 2017 By Ainsley Patterson

Density, the weight of an object divided by its volume, is a property of all matter,
including solids, liquids and gases. The value of an object’s density depends on what
it’s made of as well as its temperature; for example, lead weights are denser than
feathers, and cold air is denser than hot air. Because scientists use it so frequently,
density has its own mathematical symbol, the Greek letter rho, which resembles a
lower case p.

Intrinsic Property
Density is an intrinsic property of every substance, meaning the density of all iron
objects is the same regardless of how big they are or what shapes they take. This
makes it possible to identify an unknown material by determining its density, then
comparing it to a list of known substances and their densities.

Eureka Moment
The Greek philosopher Archimedes was given the difficult task of finding out if King
Hiero’s goldsmith was stealing gold and replacing it with a cheaper metal in a valuable
object. Archimedes realized, while taking a bath, that he could determine the volume
of the suspected object by the amount of water it displaced. Then, by dividing the
weight by the volume, then comparing the resulting density with that of gold, he could
determine if the object was gold or a cheaper substitute. According to legend, the
thought so thrilled Archimedes that he ran through town shouting “Eureka!,” a Greek
word meaning “I have found it.”

Changes in Density

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Changing the pressure or temperature of an object will generally change its density.
As temperature decreases, the motion of the molecules in a substance slows down; as
they slow, they require less space, causing density to increase. Conversely, an increase
in temperature usually results in a decrease in density. There are exceptions to the
temperature rule: Water, for example expands slightly when it freezes, so ice is less
dense than liquid water. Ice floats on water because the density of ice is lower.

Floating and Sinking

Relative density determines whether an object will float in a liquid; for example, a tree
branch floats on a river if the wood is less dense than water. On the other hand, an
iron cannonball sinks into water because its density is greater than water. Keep in
mind that an object’s whole density plays an important role in floating and sinking. An
iron ship, for example, floats in an ocean because, although iron is denser than water,
most of the ship’s interior is filled with air, reducing the vessel’s density overall. If the
ship were a solid block of iron, it would sink like a stone.

Function
Density measurements are used when weight and weight distribution are important.
This may include the construction of ships, buildings, airplanes and other modes of
transportation. Density measurements are also useful when determining how much
force is required to move a liquid through piping or tubing.

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References
• Merriam-Webster Online, Density
• Larry "Harris" Taylor, Ph.D., Archimedes, A Gold Thief and Buoyancy
• Science Magazine, The First Eureka Moment

About the Author

Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Ainsley Patterson has been a freelance writer since 2007. Her
Metal Laser Cutting Machine
articles appear on various websites. She especially enjoys utilizing her more than 10
years of craft and sewing experience to write tutorials. Patterson is working on her
bachelor's degree in liberal arts at the University of Michigan.

Photo Credits
Exchange Platform Laser Cutting Machine, 3 years
• warranty
Purestock/Purestock/Getty Images

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Three Types of Buoyancy

Three Types of Buoyancy

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•••

Updated April 25, 2017 By Emma Moore

Buoyancy determines whether an object will float or sink. It measures the difference
of an object’s density and the fluid or gas it displaces. Buoyancy measures two
competing forces. One force is the downward pressure of the object on the fluid. The
other force is the upward pressure of the fluid on the object.

The Archimedes Principle

The discovery of buoyancy is credited to the Greek mathematician Archimedes (c.
287-212 BC). While comparing the weight of the king’s supposedly gold crown with
other substances, Archimedes dropped the crown in water. He noticed a few gold
coins were faster to sink to the the bottom of his bathtub. Buoyancy applies to many
settings from vessels surveying the ocean floor to weather balloons collecting data
high into Earth's stratosphere. The three types of buoyancy are positive, negative and
neutral.

Positive Buoyancy
Positive buoyancy occurs when an object is lighter than the fluid it displaces. The
object will float because the buoyant force is greater than the object’s weight. A
swimmer experiences a great amount of buoyant force. Israel’s Dead Sea is famous for
attracting floating tourists. Saltwater is less dense than fresh water and provides
more buoyant force. Buoyant and net forces are not the same. An object’s volume and
density determine its buoyancy.

Negative Buoyancy
Negative buoyancy occurs when an object is denser than the fluid it displaces. The
object will sink because its weight is greater than the buoyant force. A submarine is
designed to operate underwater by storing and releasing water through ballast tanks.
If the command is given to descend, the tanks take in water and increase the vessel's

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density. Archimedes discovered the king's crown was made of a substance less
buoyant than the sunken gold coins.

Neutral Buoyancy
Neutral buoyancy occurs when an object’s weight is equal to the fluid it displaces. A
scuba diver is trained in techniques to regulate buoyancy underwater. Swimming
horizontally and taking deep, long breaths allow the diver to propel forward, not
upward. Fish control buoyancy through an internal swim bladder. Similar to a
submarine, the bladder is filled with gas as a means of altering buoyancy.

A Floating Balloon

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•••

Buoyancy determines the ease of a floating balloon. Hydrogen, helium and hot air are
the ideal gases for balloon aviation. Unlike liquids and solids, gas molecules are spread
farther apart. This empty space increases volume and decreases density. Astronomers
use unmanned hot air balloons to gather clear pictures of the cosmos.

Steel Fiber Laser Cutter

28 sets installed machines in local, Regularly

maintenance, Local service

References
• "Science of Everyday Things"; Buoyancy; Gale; 2002
• Office of Naval Research; Submarines: How They Work

About the Author

Based in Washington, D.C., Emma Moore is a writer and photographer. Her articles
have appeared in various Chicago publications such as “Inside Booster” and
“ChicagoNOW.” Moore earned a B.A. in political science from Loyola University
Chicago.

Photo Credits
• Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

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