1. When a body is immersed partially or completely in a liquid, the liquid exerts forces on all sides of the body. This force is perpendicular to the surface of the body and equals the product of pressure and area at that point.
2. The resultant of all these forces acts upward. It is called the upthrust or buoyant force.
3. The buoyant force is proportional to (i) the volume of the liquid displaced by the body (ii) the density of the liquid (iii) the acceleration due to gravity. Its magnitude equals the magnitude of the weight of the liquid displaced by the body.
