alleryStart learning →What is a buoyant force?
AThe downward pull of a fluid on a body
BThe net upward force on a body in a fluid
CThe sideways push of a fluid on a body
DThe weight of a body measured in a fluid
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. The net upward force on a body in a fluid
1. A body immersed in a fluid is pressed on from every side.
2. Those pressure forces do not cancel, because pressure grows with depth and so the push from below is the larger.
3. What is left over is a net upward force, and that is the buoyant force.
4. It acts on any object in any fluid, so it is not a downward or sideways effect and it is not the same thing as a weight reading.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 11 "Fluid Statics", section 11.7 Archimedes' Principle_
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