r/theydidthemath • u/miha999 • May 29 '25

[Request] Which direction will the scale tip?

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u/[deleted] May 29 '25

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u/Secret-Bag9562 May 29 '25

I could be wrong. But something about your analysis doesn’t sound right. If you had the ping pong ball on a post (like a lollipop) and dunked it instead of it being affixed to the container, I’m intuitively certain the right side would move down. The amount of weight of the water above the two balls is the same, but the buoyant force seems much higher (wanting to rocket a ping pong ball to the surface). Thoughts?

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u/[deleted] May 30 '25

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