ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Archimède

Imagine you are in a swimming pool with a ball. If you let the ball go, it will fall to the bottom of the pool. But if you push the ball down, it will come back up to the surface. This is because of something called Archimedes' principle.

Archimedes was a smart man who lived a long time ago. He figured out that when something is put in water or any other liquid, it will experience an upward force that is equal to the weight of the water or liquid that it displaces. This means that if you put a big rock in the water, the water will move out of the way to make room for the rock. And the weight of the water that moved is the same as the weight of the rock.

This is why things float. If something is light enough and can displace enough water, it will float on top. But if it is too heavy and cannot displace enough water, it will sink.

Archimedes' principle helps us understand why ships float even though they are very heavy. The ship pushes aside enough water to disperse its weight, and the water's buoyant force keeps it afloat.

So remember, Archimedes' principle is all about how things float in water or any other liquid, and how the weight of what they displace affects their buoyancy.