Which force arises from the fluid surrounding a submerged object and acts upward?

• A. Normal Force
• B. Buoyant Force
• C. Friction
• D. Inertia

Answer: (B)

The buoyant force is the net upward push the surrounding fluid exerts on a submerged object. This comes from pressure differences within the fluid: pressure increases with depth, so the pressure on the bottom surface is greater than the pressure on the top. The side pressures largely cancel, leaving a net upward force. By Archimedes’ principle, this buoyant force equals the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. That’s why objects rise when the buoyant force exceeds their weight, or float when they’re balanced.

Normal force is the contact force from a surface, not from the fluid around the object. Friction acts parallel to a surface and opposes motion, not the vertical lift from fluid pressure. Inertia refers to the resistance of any mass to changes in motion, not a fluid-driven force.