Tag: Archimedes principle

Archimedes' principle, a foundational law of physics, provides the scientific basis for how water displacement method is used to measure body fat. This technique, known as hydrostatic weighing, relies on the fact that fat mass and lean mass have different densities, causing a person's weight to change in a predictable way when submerged in water. By comparing a person's weight on land versus underwater, specialists can precisely calculate their body density and, from there, their body fat percentage.

According to food science research, density is a critical physical property used to verify a product's quality, purity, and concentration. Learning how to determine the density of a food sample is a foundational skill in laboratory settings, essential for quality control and nutritional analysis.

According to Archimedes' principle, an object immersed in a fluid is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. This fundamental law of physics explains why the composition of your body, including its percentage of fat, is the primary determinant of whether you float or sink.