Hydrostatikgewicht

Hydrostatikgewicht is a term used to describe the hydrostatic forces that a fluid at rest exerts on immersed bodies or surfaces. In a static fluid, pressure increases with depth according to p(h) = p0 + ρ g h, where p0 is the pressure at the fluid surface, ρ is the fluid density, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the depth below the surface. This pressure distribution creates a resultant force on any submerged object, known as the hydrostatic or buoyant force.

The buoyant force acts upward and is governed by Archimedes’ principle: its magnitude equals the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. Mathematically, F_b = ρ g V_submerged, where V_submerged is the submerged volume. This force depends on the fluid density and the submerged volume, and it acts without regard to the object’s shape. In a fully submerged body the vertical component of the hydrostatic force on all surfaces sums to the buoyant force; for partially submerged objects, the calculation follows from the depth-dependent pressure distribution over the exposed surface.

For practical calculations, the total hydrostatic force on a surface is found by integrating pressure over the surface area, F = ∮ p n dA, with n denoting the surface normal. In engineering contexts, hydrostatikgewicht informs the design and analysis of ships, submarines, tanks, dams, and any system interacting with fluids at rest. Variations in density due to temperature or salinity can change the buoyant force and needs to be accounted for in precise applications. See also buoyancy, Archimedes’ principle, and hydrostatics.