Archimedes Principle Calculator
Work out archimedes principle instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
About Archimedes Principle Calculator
Archimedes' principle says the upthrust equals the weight of fluid displaced, rho.V.g. Submerging 0.015 m3 in water displaces 15 kg of water and generates 147 N of upthrust. A 12 kg object weighing 118 N therefore floats, and any object with a mean density below the fluid's will.
Formulas
Buoyant force
F = rho(fluid) x V(displaced) x g
Apparent weight
W(apparent) = W - F(buoyant)
Worked example
With the default values below, Archimedes Principle Calculator returns Buoyant Force of 147.100. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Volume submergedminimum 0 m3
- 0.015 m3
- Density of the fluidminimum 0 kg/m3
- 1,000 kg/m3
- Mass of the objectminimum 0 kg
- 12 kg
Results
- Buoyant Force
- 147.100 N
- Apparent Weight In The Fluid
- -29.420 N
- Mass Of Fluid Displaced
- 15.0000 kg
- Float Or Sink?
- Floats - buoyancy meets or beats the weight
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Buoyant force
- 3Apparent weight
- 4Buoyant Force= 147.100 N
- 5Apparent Weight In The Fluid= -29.420 N
- 6Mass Of Fluid Displaced= 15.0000 kg
- 7Float Or Sink?= Floats - buoyancy meets or beats the weight
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a steel ship float?
Because the hull encloses air, so the ship's average density is well below water's. Displacement is about total volume, not the density of the steel.
Does buoyancy depend on depth?
Not in an incompressible fluid - only on displaced volume. In air or a compressible fluid the density changes with depth, so upthrust does too.