Displacement (fluid)

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image:Submerged-and-Displacing.png

In fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place, so that it can be weighed.

An object that sinks also displaces an amount of fluid equal to the object's volume. Thus Buoyancy is expressed by Archimedes' Principle which states that when this happens, the weight of the object is reduced by its volume times the density of the fluid. If the weight of the object is less than this quantity, it will float, if more it will sink. The amount of fluid displaced is directly related (via Archimedes' Principle) to its weight.

Displacement is used as a measure of the weight of ships (see : Hull (watercraft), load line and Stability conditions (watercraft). The displacement of a vessel is equal to the weight of water it displaces when afloat.

Various ships (ex:Naval ships, Icebreakers) are often referred to by their displacement. The unit of measure can be long tons, a larger British ton, or metric tons depending on the country of origin.


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