======Buoyancy and Floating Cups======


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**Alternative titles:** Investigating Upthrust with Floating Cups
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Fill one large container with tap water and another with concentrated salt solution.  
  - Place an empty lightweight plastic cup gently on the surface of the tap water.  
  - Gradually add water into the cup, observing how much of the cup becomes submerged.  
  - Record the volume of water added when the cup reaches a certain depth.  
  - Repeat the same process with the cup floating in the salt solution.  
  - Compare the depth of submersion and the amount of displaced liquid between the two liquids.  
  - Plot graphs of volume displaced versus mass added to analyze the relationship.



====Links====

📄 Floating Cups - isaac: [[https://isaacscience.org/questions/itsp_exp_floating]]\\


====Variations====
  * Use liquids of different densities (e.g., oil, sugar solution) to compare results.  
  * Try different shapes and sizes of floating containers.


====Safety Precautions====
  * Ensure containers are stable to prevent spills.  
  * Wipe up any spilled water or salt solution immediately to avoid slips.




====Questions to Consider====
  * What determines whether an object floats or sinks? (Whether its average density is less than or greater than the density of the liquid.)  
  * How is the upthrust force related to the weight of liquid displaced? (They are equal when the object is floating.)  
  * Why does the cup float higher in salt water compared to tap water? (Because salt water has a greater density, so less volume needs to be displaced to balance the object’s weight.)  
  * What would happen if the cup were filled with too much water? (It would sink once its weight exceeds the maximum upthrust force possible.)