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Will It Float?

Science Masterpiece

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Buoyancy

  • Objects that can float are buoyant.
  • These objects can float because they are less dense than water.
  • Density is a measure of how close together an object’s molecules are.
  • Water can only hold up things that are less dense than itself.
  • Things that are denser than water will sink.

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Vocabulary

Buoyancy

    • The ability of an object to float.

Density

    • How close together an object’s molecules are.

Displacement

    • The amount of water that is moved by an object when it is placed in water.

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Float

    • To be held up or supported by a liquid.

Sink

    • To fall below the surface of something.

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Experiment Time

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Conclusion

In ancient Greece, there was a scientist named Archimedes who found that when an object is put in water it displaces or moves some of the water.

  • If the object weighs less than the water, or is less dense than the water, the object floats.
  • If it weighs more than the water, or is denser than the water it displaces, the object sinks.
  • This is known as Archimedes' Principle or the Law of Buoyancy.