# Archimedes Principle on other planet [closed]

How does the Archimedes Principle work on other planets where the gravity is different.?

Does the wood block will float exactly same in water tub on different planets as on Earth.?

• It's a good question and if it was written differently it might have some interesting answers! There are questions here about atmospheric exploration balloons at other planets and Buoyancy does come up a lot. As long as there is some significant amount of gravity, I think the block will float similarly on different planets, because the principle depends upon ratios of densities so the gravitational acceleration $GM_{\text{planet}}/r_{\text{planet}}^2$ factors out. – uhoh Mar 28 at 17:50

It will float at the same depth where it displaces its weight in water, because the weights of both the wood and water are directly proportional to gravity. Relative density alone determines whether an object is buoyant and how much of it will be submerged.

However, with reduced gravity, the forces that push it to that position will be weaker. It will be easier to push underwater, and slower to return to its equilibrium point when released. A boat would be easier to swamp in lower gravity, especially since while the weight of a person climbing into it is reduced, their inertia is not.

It's a good question and if it was written differently it might have some even more interesting answers! There are questions here about atmospheric exploration balloons at other planets and Buoyancy does come up a lot.

As long as there is some significant amount of gravity, I think the block will float similarly on different planets, because the principle depends upon ratios of densities so the gravitational acceleration

$$\frac{GM}{r^2}$$

factors out.

Of course a lot of other things might change, waves move at different speeds, effects of surface tension will be more or less pronounced, etc.