Buoyant Force


buoyant force

[′bȯi·ənt ′fȯrs] (fluid mechanics) The force exerted vertically upward by a fluid on a body wholly or partly immersed in it; its magnitude is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body.

Buoyant Force

 

(buoyancy), the upward force that is the resultant of the pressure forces of a fluid on the surface of a body completely or partially immersed in the fluid. According to Archimedes’ principle, it is equal to the weight of the fluid that would fill the space occupied by the immersed portion of the body. The floating of bodies and of such structures as ships, boats, aerostats, and buoys is due to the buoyant force.