How to Make a Golf Ball Buoyant

Golf balls will float if some of their characteristics are altered.

Buoyancy is the result of liquid exerting more force on an object than the object is exerting on the liquid. If the object pushes down on a body of liquid more than the liquid can push back, that object will sink. If the liquid pushes up with more force than the object can exert, the object will float. A golf ball normally will sink in water, but there are ways of reducing the force it exerts while increasing the force the liquid exerts back, meaning the golf ball will become buoyant.

Things You'll Need

• Salt
• Thick milkshake
• Balloon
• Glue

Instructions

1. Add salt to water, which will increase its ability to resist the force of the golf ball's weight. The amount of salt depends on the size of the body of water the ball is being dropped in. The clearest example of this phenomena is the Dead Sea, which has such a high salt concentration that humans can float in the water without any effort.

2. Place the golf ball in a thicker liquid like a milkshake. Buoyancy does not solely refer to water, but to any liquid. Golf balls will therefore float in some substances and sink in others. Due to the thickness of the ice cream in most milkshakes, the golf ball will be buoyant in it until the ice cream completely melts.

3. Glue the golf ball to an inflated balloon and place it in water. The attached balloon will keep the ball buoyant thanks to the air in the balloon being held up by the water's force.

References

• Learn NC: Float, Sink, Flink!
• Windows 2 Universe: The Floating Golf Ball
• Keller ISD: Fore! Oops, There Goes Another Golf Ball