Mathematics and Physical Sciences Department

COE0015L Physics for Engineers 2 Lab

ACTIVITY NO. 2 SCORE:

BUOYANCY

(TITLE OF EXPERIMENT)

Cabatuan, Miles Edward L.

(SURNAME, GIVEN NAME, MI) SIGNATURE

Cabigting, Chelsie Y.

(SURNAME, GIVEN NAME, MI) SIGNATURE

Corales, Razelle Dianne N.

(SURNAME, GIVEN NAME, MI) SIGNATURE

Cruz, Stephanie F.

(SURNAME, GIVEN NAME, MI) SIGNATURE

De leon, Laurence P.
 Mathematics and Physical Sciences Department
COE0015L Physics for Engineers 2 Lab

(SURNAME, GIVEN NAME, MI) SIGNATURE

Dy, Keirk Michael Simeon P.

(SURNAME, GIVEN NAME, MI) SIGNATURE

COE0015L / 4/24/2024

(SUBJECT CODE AND SECTION) (DATE OF PERFORMANCE)

2 4/24/2024

(GROUP NO.) (DATE OF SUBMISSION)

PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS 2 LABORATORY ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 1: Buoyancy

1.1 Program Outcomes (POs) Addressed by the Activity

a. ability to apply knowledge of mathematics and science to solve complex engineering
problems
b. ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data

1.2 Activity’s Intended Learning Outcomes (AILOs)

At the end of this activity, the student shall be able to:
a. Define buoyant force.
b. Determine the factors affecting buoyancy.

1.3 Objectives of the Activity

The objectives of the activity are:
a. To determine the buoyant force of a fully submerged object.
b. To determine the buoyant force of a partially submerged object.
c. To determine the density of fluid.

1.4 Principle of the Activity

Have you ever imagined why a huge ship floats in water and a coin does not? The answer is
Buoyancy.
Buoyancy is the tendency of a body to float in a fluid. It was first discovered by an ancient Greek
mathematician and inventor named Archimedes while he was taking a bath. He noticed that when he
 Mathematics and Physical Sciences Department
COE0015L Physics for Engineers 2 Lab

stepped into his bathtub, water splashed over the edge of the tub as he settled into it. He realized that the
volume of the water that splashed out of the tub is equal to the volume taken up by his body.
He stated that an object that is completely or partially immersed in a fluid (liquid or gas) at rest is
acted upon by an upward force which is called the buoyant force. Moreover, the weight of the fluid
displaced by the body is equal to the buoyant force.
B=W fd =ρ f gV fd
where
B is the buoyant force
g is the gravitational acceleration
W fdis the weight of the fluid displaced
ρf is the density of the fluid
Vfd is the volume of the displaced fluid.

1.5 Materials/Equipment
2 100-mL graduated cylinders
1 beaker
1 steel mass
1 spring balance
1 m string
1 plastic container with content
1 60 mL water
1 60 mL brine
1 60 mL ethyl alcohol
1 triple beam balance

1.6 Procedure/s

Figure 1.1
The volume of the fluid displaced when the object is fully submerged is the volume of the
object.

The graduated cylinder is a long, slender vessel used for measuring the volume of liquids.
 Mathematics and Physical Sciences Department
COE0015L Physics for Engineers 2 Lab

Figure 1.2 Figure 1.3

The object is weighed in air The object is weighed while submerged in fluid

The spring balance is a tool to measure the force exerted on an object. The force is usually
measured in Newtons.

1.6.1 Buoyant Force Determination (Fully submerged)

1. Partly fill the graduated cylinder with water of about 60 mL.

2. Tie the steel mass with a piece of string. Hang the steel mass at the end of the spring balance.
Refer to Figure 1.2. Read the measurement and record it as the weight of the steel in the air, W 1,
in Table 1.1.
3. Submerge the steel mass in the graduated cylinder that contains water. See Figure 1.3.
4. Record the change in the liquid’s level as Vfd, Vfd = Vf –Vo. This is the amount of fluid displaced
by the steel mass. (Use SI units for all the quantities).
5. Record the new reading of the spring balance as W 2. The steel mass should not be touching the
bottom of the cylinder.
6. Compute the buoyant force, B1, which is the weight of the displaced fluid using the equation

B1=ρ f ∙ g ∙V fd

where B1 is the buoyant force

ρ f is the density of the fluid
Vfd is the volume of the fluid displaced
g is the gravitational acceleration
g= 9.80 m/s2
7. Compute the buoyant force, B2, which is the difference between the weight of the steel mass in air
and fluid.
B2=W 1 −W 2

8. Compute the percentage difference between the buoyant forces determined in steps e and f.

|B1−B2|
% error B = x 100
1
(B + B )
2 1 2
 Mathematics and Physical Sciences Department
COE0015L Physics for Engineers 2 Lab

9. Repeat steps a to e with kerosene and brine solution as the liquid medium.

1.6.2 Density of Fluid Determination (Partially Submerged)

s
Figure 1.4
Fluid is displaced when an object is partially submerged

1. Measure the mass of the container with content and determine its weight. Record in Table 1.7.2.
2. Fill the graduated cylinder with water, about 80 mL. Drop the container in the fluid and determine
the volume of the fluid displaced, Vfd. Record in Table 1.7.2. Refer to Figure 1.4
3. Determine the buoyant force on the container, B. Note that the container floats on the fluid and
it is at equilibrium. B = W
4. Determine the experimental density of the fluid using the equation below:
m
ρ fexp=
g V fd
Where

ρexp is the experimental value of the density of fluid

m is the mass of the container with content
g is the gravitational acceleration
Vfd is the volume of the fluid displaced.

5. Compute the percentage error between experimental and theoretical densities using the equation:
|ρexp −ρtheo|
% error ρ = x 100
1
(ρ + ρ )
2 exp theo
6. Repeat steps b to d with isopropyl alcohol and brine.

1.7 Data

Table 1.7.1 Buoyant Force Determination

Quantities Fluid

Water Ethyl Alcohol Brine Solution

Density, ρftheo (kg/m3) 1000 789 1030

Volume of fluid displaced, Vfd, (m3) 2.5x 10-5

 Mathematics and Physical Sciences Department
COE0015L Physics for Engineers 2 Lab

Buoyant force, B1 (N) 0.245 0.19 0.25

Weight of the steel in the air, W1 (N) 0.9N 0.9N 0.9N

Weight of steel in the medium, W2 (N) 0.6N 0.7N 0.55N

Buoyant force, B2 (N) 0.3 0.2 0.35

% difference of Buoyant force, % differenceB 20.18% 5.12% 33.33%

Table 1.7.2 Density of Fluid Determination

Quantities Fluid

Water Ethyl Brine Solution

Alcohol

Mass of the container with content, m (kg) 0.0195kg

Weight of the container with content, W 0.1911N

(N)

Volume of fluid displaced, Vfd, (m3) 2.1x 10-5 2.3x 10-5 1.9x 10-5

Buoyant force, B (N) 0.1911N 0.1911N 0.1911N

Experimental Density of fluid, ρfexp 928.57 847.83 1026.22

% error of density, % errorρ 7.14% 7.35% 0.36%

1.8 Calculations
 Mathematics and Physical Sciences Department
COE0015L Physics for Engineers 2 Lab

Computation for table 1.7.1

Computation for table 1.7.2