Title : ARCHIMDES PRINCIPLE

Objective:
To determine the density of various solids and liquids using Archimedes Principle.
Introduction:
Recall that the mass of a body m is related to its density and volume V by
m V

Eq. (1)

T
B

Liquid

mg

In the diagram above, the object is suspended from a string and submerged in a liquid. The
submerged object now displaces a volume V of liquid. The submerged object is subjected to
three forces now; the gravitational force, the tension T in the string, and an upward force
known as the buoyant force. Archimedes determined that the buoyant force B is equal to the
weight of the liquid displaced by the object:
B LVg mLiquid Displaced g

Eq.(2)

If there is no net force on the submerged object then:

B mg T W T L gV

Eq.(3)

Solving for the volume of the body:

V W gT
L

m T / g
L

Eq.(4)

Apparatus:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Pingpong ball
Plasticine
Water
Beaker
Measuring cylinder

Procedure:
1.
2.

Empty beaker, ping pong ball and plasticine are weighed and recorded.
Water and ping pong ball are poured into the beaker and they are weighed and
recorded again.

3.
4.

Water is poured into the measuring cylinder, initial reading is recorded.

Plasticine is released into the measuring cylinder and the final reading is recorded.

Data & Calculation.

Ping Pong Ball
Mass (g)

Mass (kg)

Weight

(0.001)
2.08

0.00238

(N)
0.0238

Mass of empty beaker

185.64

0.18564

1.8564

Mass of beaker + water

188.60

0.18860

1.8860

Mass of displaced fluid

2.96

0.00296

0.0296

Mass of ball

Ping Pong Ball

Mass (kg)

Weight

Volume

(0.001)

(N)

(mL)
(0.1)

Volume (
m3 )

Volume initial water

28.0

0.000028

Volume water + ping pong ball

30.0

0.000030

Volume of water displaced

2.0

0.000002

Volume of ping pong ball

2.0

0.000002

Mass of ping pong ball

0.00296

0.0296

Plasticine
Mass (kg)

Weight

Volume

(0.001)

(N)

(mL)
(0.01)

Volume (
m3 )

Volume initial water

20.0

0.000010

Volume water + plasticine

30.0

0.000030

Volume of water displaced

10.0

0.000010

Volume of plasticine

10.0

0.000010

Mass of plasticine

0.01557

0.1557

Discussion.
According to Archimedes principle Bouyant force = weight of displaced fluid. So the buoyant
force of the ping pong ball supposed to be 0.0296N. this result is slightly different to the
actual weight of the ping pong ball which is 0.0238N. This error may due to the difficulty to
precisely read the scale because of the curved surface of the water. Furthermore, water
droplets kept falling off the sides of the cylinder (and raising the water level in the cylinder).
Archimedes principle also state that the volume of object = volume of displaced fluid, so the
volume of plasticine used and water displaced both are 10mL and 0.000010m3.

Conclusion.
From the experimental result, we can deduced that the density of the ping pong ball is
1190kg/m3 while the density of the plasticine used is 1557 kg/m3.