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Q:

Why can't buoyant force act on heavy objects?

A:

The buoyant force can actually act on heavy objects. The buoyant force is created by a difference in pressure from the top of the object to the bottom of the object. When an object is submerged in a fluid, it experiences more pressure the deeper it goes. Since the bottom of an object is deeper in the liquid than the top, it experiences a stronger pressure upwards and therefore it experiences a buoyant force. Therefore buoyancy acts on any object submerged in a liquid regardless of its weight. The reason some objects sink in fluid is because they are denser than the fluid and therefore they experience a stronger gravitational force than buoyant force. If you submerge a heavy bowling ball in water, it will float since it is less dense than water.

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