Calculating the hydrostatic force on a submerged body

The hydrostatic force is a force exerted by a fluid on a submerged body. This force comes from the weight of the fluid acting down on the submerged body, so it can be derived from the equation weight (in this case hydrostatic force)=massg and mass=densityvolume.  You can calculate the volume of the column of water above the object by multiplying the surface area of the object by the depth the object is submerged by. Calculate the mass of the object and density of the fluid and then substitute into the equation above to find the total force exerted on the submerged body.

SH
Answered by Samuel H. Physics tutor

8426 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Describe and explain the photoelectric effect.


State Newton's Law of Gravitation


Describe how the strong nuclear force between two nucleons varies the distance between the 2 nucleons.


Given a graph of the displacement of a particle, how can you tell if it is in Simple Harmonic Motion?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning