Georgia Perimeter College Objectives Be able to define buoyancy. Describe the factors which affect the buoyancy of an object. Describe how an object's surface area affects its buoyancy. Explain the relationship between density and buoyancy.
Density is defined as the mass of a substance per unit of volume.
The greater the mass within a given volume, the greater the density. The density of water is affected by its temperature, salinity, and pressure. This has to do with the molecular structure of water. The density of ocean water increases with increasing salinity. Buoyancy is the tendency of an object to float in a fluid.