According to buoyancy principles, the buoyant force on an object is:

• A. Unrelated to the displaced fluid
• B. Equal to the object's weight
• C. Always greater than the displaced fluid's weight
• D. Equal to the weight of the displaced fluid

Answer: (D)

Archimedes’ principle shows that the buoyant force equals the weight of the fluid the object displaces. This upward push comes from the pressure difference in the fluid: pressure is higher deeper down, so the fluid pushes up more on the bottom of the object than it pushes down on the top, resulting in a net upward force. That net force is the weight of the displaced fluid, which can be expressed as rho_fluid × g × V_submerged.

This is why the statement is correct: the buoyant force depends on how much fluid the object pushes away (the volume it displaces) and the fluid’s density, not on the object’s own weight. If the object’s weight is greater than the buoyant force, it sinks; if it’s less, it floats with just enough submerged volume so that the buoyant force equals the object's weight.