Steel ball adds no weight to its side of the system as it is externally supported.
Ping pong ball appears to be exact same outer diameter as the steel ball, thus displacing the same amount of water and leading to an equal weight on either side.
But.... The added mass of the ping pong ball's thin plastic walls (and the minimal mass of the string or cable) should be enough to make it's side heavier in the end, leading the ping pong ball side to fall lower.
#AutismAwareness
Does buoyancy come into it at all?
No. The displacement is all that matters here.
Related: Stand on a scale and pull up on your shoelaces. No matter how much force you pull with, you will be unable to lift yourself from the scale, or even to decrease the weight it displays.
Good analogy (at least for the ping-pong ball).
But would there not be a downward buoyant force exhibited from the steel ball?
I suck at replying correctly sometimes...
This was supposed to go here...
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There would not be.
Example:
Stand on a scale and put a cup of water at your feet.
Tie a string around a rock and hold it.
Note the weight.
Allow the rock to dip into the water.
The scale will remain unchanged.
Negative bouyancy only means than an object will sink if not suspended. It is not an added force that needs to be considered, especially considering that the steel ball is externally supported and negative bouyancy can not apply as a result.
Your example would reflect the ball being suspended from the bucket, not the ground.
...I promise I'll get the hang of replying in the right spot...
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That's fair, but the result is the same either way. No additional forces to consider.
Since it is supported by the ground, all downward force is applied to the ground and not to its side of the system.
Further note. If the steel ball's support is unsupported (there is no floor pictured) it will fall and the weight of the steel ball on the bottom of its container (to say nothing of the weight of the support structure) will cause that side to fall.
If there is a floor directly underneath the fulcrum, the steel ball will fall to the bottom of its container (but no further) and it's weight will prevent the ping pong ball side from falling even though it has a higher mass. The system would then remain static.
A wild autist appeared
