Archimedes’ principle is very useful for calculating the volume of an object that does not have a regular shape. The oddly shaped object can be submerged, and the volume of the fluid displaced is equal to the volume of the object. It can also be used in calculating the density or specific gravity of an object. For example, for an object denser than water, the object can be weighed in air and then weighed when submerged in water. When the object is submerged, it weighs less because of the buoyant force pushing upward. The object’s specific gravity is then the object’s weight in air divided by how much weight the object loses when placed in water. But most importantly, the principle describes the behaviour of any body in any fluid, whether it is a ship in water or a balloon in air.
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