Before the Greek mathematician and inventor Archimedes (C.287-212 B.C.), nobody knew why some things float and others don’t. It is said that Archimedes’ king gave a silversmith a certain amount of gold to make him a new crown. When the crown was finished, the king asked Archimedes to figure out a way to secretly decide […]
Buoyancy
Archimedes discovered that fluids, such as air or water, apply an upward force on objects that are partially or totally submerged in the fluids. Such object are said to have buoyancy (the tendency to float when placed in a fluid). The upward force of fluids is called a buoyant force. A buoyant force is equal […]
How to Date Eggs
The older an egg is the more buoyant it is in water. Buoyancy is the ability of an object to float in a fluid (liquid or gas). For example, helium balloons are buoyant in air and boats are buoyant in water. To test the freshness of an egg, fill a bowl with water. Then place […]
Snow Globes
I love snow globes. Have you ever wondered what makes the glittery stuff inside the globe drift down slowly? It really does look like falling snow? 1.One factor is the viscosity (thickness) of the liquid. Viscosity is a fancy scientific name for describing the resistance of a fluid (gas or liquid) to flow. It could […]