Question

Can you actually touch with your hand the "displaced water" referred to in the Archimedes Principle at the exact moment that the object of interest is floating or submerged in water??

Please help

Answer 1

I would say yes, although this is a funny question.

Say I have a transparent glass cup that is half full and I place a ping pong ball in it. I will observe that the water level goes up (at the sides of the glass). The total volume of water has not changed, so whatever is "displaced" hasn't disappeared.

The idea of having the same volume might be funny to you, but remember that the ping pong ball as displaced some water at the center, and this displaced water helps to increase the water level at the side, since there is less space for the water in the middle where the ball is.

Answer 2

what if the water in container is full and the displaced water is puored? that means I can actually touch the displaced water? Thanks! :)

Answer 3

i say it's a funny question because i'm not sure what the question is looking for.

technically you don't touch the same water that was displaced when the water overflows a full container.

when the block of wood that floats is placed, it will push on and displace the water around it, then the water around it will push on the water that is around it and so on until the edges, where the water at the edge ends up pushing the air and falls off.

but bringing it back to perspective water here and water there is the same, so i guess it makes no difference.