An Ice Cube Buoyant Force Calculation

Calculating the Buoyant Force on an Ice Cube

An ice cube measuring 2.0 cm on each side is placed in a glass of water. The density of the ice cube is 0.917 g/cm³. We need to determine the buoyant force acting on the ice cube in water.

Step 1: Determine the Volume of the Ice Cube

The volume of a cube can be calculated using the formula: Volume of a cube = (Side length)³. Given that the side length of the ice cube is 2.0 cm, we can calculate the volume:

Volume of the ice cube = (2.0 cm)³ = 8.0 cm³

Step 2: Calculate the Weight of the Fluid Displaced

The weight of the fluid displaced can be calculated using the formula: Weight of the fluid displaced = Density of the fluid × Volume of the fluid displaced × Acceleration due to gravity.

For water, the density is approximately 1 g/cm³. Substituting the values into the formula, we get:

Weight of the fluid displaced = 1 g/cm³ × 8.0 cm³ × 9.8 m/s²

Step 3: Calculate the Buoyant Force

Now, we can find the buoyant force by using the formula: Buoyant force (FB) = Weight of the fluid displaced. Substituting the calculated value, we get:

FB = Weight of the fluid displaced ≈ 78.4 N

Therefore, the buoyant force acting on the ice cube is approximately 78.4 N.