DIGITAL MEDIA PROJECT

Digital Media Project: Introduction to Buoyancy

Jeremiah Lee
EDEC 262
McGill University

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The media I decided to integrate is a software developed by Adams et al. (Version 1.05,
2011) for PhET Interactive Simulations, a project launched in 2002 out of the University of
Colorado Boulder in order to produce interactive simulations that aid students in understanding
math and science concepts in an interactive and educationally conducive way. The Buoyancy
program creates a virtual environment that has 2 levels, an introduction level and a more open
Playground level. The simulation has blocks of varying materials that can be put into a pool of
fluid with the mouse cursor in order to observe the results of the phenomena of buoyancy. I
chose to use Buoyancy as it is extremely intuitive to use and the forces exerted by a fluid on an
object are made explicitly clear by the options on the interface to include the force values and
arrows. Furthermore, it is unlike some digital learning tools in that it is non-linear and entirely
based on user input as opposed to set questions. Therefor a teacher can tailor questions and
discussion around the tool in a way that best conveys the learning goals to the individual student
group levels. Instructions can be given, but in the end the learner is interacting and discovering
on their terms.
The Intro level of the program has 2 blocks, one brick and one wood, and 2 scales, one in
the pool and one on the surface. The pool has a displayed volume, normally at 100L, which
fluctuates as the blocks become partially or fully submerged in the fluid. The objects can be
varied to match mass, volume or density to illustrate differences and similarities in how they
behave in the given introduction medium, water. There are also options that visualize the forces
acting on the blocks numerically and pictorially, through colored arrows for the latter. The
Playground section allows for the density of the fluid to be changed to numerous presets or
manually inputted. 1 or 2 blocks can be set as a preset material and their mass or size changed, or
can be set as a custom block that can be given any density, size or mass in a given range.
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The aspects of the program that did not hold up were very minor. For one, the colored
force arrows overlapped when both were present, with the orange being the most pronounced.
This made the nature of which forces are acting on the block slightly more ambiguous, although
the numeric force display helped to clarify in that regard. The only other input I would give
would be to modify the program by adding length measurements to the sides of the cubic blocks.
This would allow for students to calculate the volumes themselves as well as have a scale to
compare how much of the block is above or below the waterline.
I have created a rough lesson plan, located in the appendix, which displays a direction I
envision could be taken to teach an introduction to the concepts of buoyancy to a physics class
with some previous physics and math knowledge. Through the use of this open-ended program, I
hope to focus on questions that prompt discovery learning in a pseudo-authentic way. Although
having an actual basin and physical cubes would be the most physically realistic method of
interacting with Archimedes Principle and buoyancy, I argue that the simulation surpasses
reality in some ways in terms of ease of understanding. For one, I hypothesize less chaos in not
having 28 vessels of water and a series of different sized and weighted blocks located around the
class. Secondly, having constantly updated force values and directions being shown will help
contextualize the explanation and experimentation of how the blocks are being supported in the
fluid. Finally, having the ability to input specific values for a custom block in the Playground
level and watch the effects on the interaction in real time helps to see the relation between
density and buoyancy in a way that is not possible in real life.

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With the simulation, the main purpose of this primer lesson would be to stimulate interest
in how a certain aspect of the world works. The brief historical context, although not a
component of the simulation, gives some human context to the lesson and motivations to why
science in general is and has been important. It leads into the use of the media and questions,
which together are meant to have the learning be student-centered. The students are interacting
with the digital materials and manipulating them at their pace, which allows for whatever mini
test they want to preform to try to see what is happening slowly build an empirical
understanding. The questions are meant not to gauge what they know at this phase, but to direct
them towards coming up with their own solutions. Of course clarifying misconceptions when the
main section of the lesson occurs would be an important step in ensuring the understanding of
all. The predictions the students make will either be correct and they understand the phenomena,
or they will be a basis on which they can juxtapose a more physically representative concept as
opposed to building a new idea from scratch. The lesson also makes use of elements of the
program and relates them back to what is assumed that the class had previously learned, such as
understanding the force equation F=ma and calculating mass based on density and volume.

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References
Adams, W., Lancaster, K., Loeblein, T., Malley, C., Olson, J., Paulson, A., Perkins, K.,
Podolefsky, N., Reid, S., Wieman, C. (March 2011). Buoyancy [Computer software]. PhET
Interactive Simulations, Version 1.05. Retrieved from
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/legacy/buoyancy.
Nave, R. (1998). HyperPhysics: Buoyancy. Georgia State University Department of Physics and
Astronomy. Retrieved from http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/pbuoy.html.

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Appendix
LESSON PLAN

Topic
o
Goals
o
o
o
o

Buoyancy
Learn brief historical context of Archimedes principle and buoyancy
Formulate simple hypotheses about buoyancy given new information
Assess results of experimentation through the simulation
Begin to apply buoyancy equation to new situations

This lesson is meant to introduce the concept of buoyancy and scaffold learning when the
students are next taught the quantifiable aspects in the form of equations and problems.

1. Introduction historical context

Trade happened with precious metals, but purity was difficult to assess with irregular
objects as the volume could not be calculated even if the proper density of what the
metal was supposed to be made out of was known (think of a perfect cube versus a
crown, they might have the same volume, but how could you tell if they werent made
out of the same thing i.e. different densities.)

The phrase, Eureka! Eureka! is popularly remembered as what Archimedes (Greece

circa 250 BC) shouted as he was taking a bath one day, when he realized that the
amount of water his body displaced was equal to the increase in the volume of water
in his tub. The implication is that we can now tell the volume of irregular objects!

The question remained, then, how can we tell whether a given object will float or sink
before putting in in the water (useful for marine navigation)

2. Predictions about buoyancy

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As previously discussed, solids are different from liquids and gases, which are
grouped together as fluids. Matter can generally pass more easily through a fluid
compared to a solid. The concept of buoyancy were going to discuss has to do with
how a solid will interact with a fluid (as opposed to the interactions of 2 fluids).

As we know, an objects density is equal to its mass over its volume. Fluids also have
densities, which can be measured in the same way.

Recall that weight, in Newtons, is the force acting on an object due to gravity (F=ma)

What are some objects that sink?

What are some similarities in the objects that youve come up with? (Heavy, small,
dense, solid, compact, etc.)

How about some objects that float?

What are some similarities amongst those? (Light, large, less dense, porous, spread
out, etc.)

Given that water has a density of around 1 kg/L, what do you think the density of
something that sinks will be? Something that floats?

What are some reasons for why this might be the case?

Share and discuss some of the predictions with the class.

3. Simulation

Now that weve made some hypotheses on the topic, lets explore the true nature of
buoyancy.

Explain the interface for the intro section of the simulation.

Click all of the boxes under Show Forces and Readouts to see more information
about the forces acting on the blocks

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When the block is being supported by the solid surfaces, either above or below water,
the normal force is shown as an orange arrow. When the block is being supported by a
fluid, the buoyancy force is represented with a purple arrow.

The class messes around with the program to get used to it

When we put the brick block in the water we see that the volume of the pool
increases. What do you think Archimedes would say about that? What is the volume
of the brick? When the brick is on the bottom of the pool, why do you think that some
of the upwards force is orange (normal force) and some is purple (buoyancy force)?

Hold the wooden block underwater and youll see that the water level will increase by
12.5L. Now let go of it and let it float. As the block of water stops bobbing, some of it
is above the surface and some is below. The amount of water displaced is only 5L
now. Is that consistent with Archimedes Principle? How much of the block is below
water? Notice that the buoyancy reading is equal to the force due to gravity.

Introduce buoyancy: The upwards force exerted on an object in a fluid is equal

to the weight of the fluid displaced by an object. Implications: If an object is
denser than a fluid, it tends to sink. If an object is less dense than a fluid it tends
to float.

4. Application of buoyancy in new situations

Have the class go to the buoyancy playground tab.

Using the programs My Block option, create a block that floats on olive oil but not
on gasoline. Record the mass, volume and density. List the densities of the gasoline,
olive oil and your block in increasing order. Where is your block in relation to the
other two? What volume of the block was submerged in the gasoline? In the olive oil?
Calculate the mass of the fluid that was displaced by the object in both cases
(m=d*V). How do the fluid masses compare to that of the block?

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Finally, set the density of the fluid back to 1.00kg/L. Input a mass and volume that
will make your blocks density the same, record your values. Before putting your
block into the pool, calculate the weight of the water that will be displaced by the
block if it is totally submerged (using the volume of your block). How does that look
when compared to the weight of your block? What do you think will happen when
you place the block in the pool?

Now place the block in the pool and record what happens. Why do you think this
happens?

FIGURES

Figure 1. The brick block placed into the pool as in part 3 of the lesson plan to demonstrate the
forces resisting gravity and the water displacement/volume
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Figure 2. The wooden block held underwater as in part 3 of the lesson plan to demonstrate the
water displacement/volume of the whole block before buoyancy is observed

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Figure 3. The custom block as in part 4 of the lesson plan designed to sink in gasoline and float in olive oil with the same set mass,
volume and density

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Figure 4. The custom block as in part 4 of the lesson plan designed to be neutrally buoyant in
water.

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