What happens to a body when the buoyant force is equal to its weight?

When the buoyant force acting on a body is equal to its weight, the body is in a state of equilibrium in a fluid. This condition means that the upward force exerted by the fluid (buoyant force) counterbalances the downward gravitational force (weight) on the body.

In this state, the body neither sinks nor rises, which results in it floating at a certain level within the fluid. The buoyant force arises from the pressure difference between the top and bottom of the submerged body due to the weight of the fluid above it. When these forces are equal, the net force acting on the body is zero, leading to stable floating conditions.

This concept is governed by Archimedes' principle, which states that the buoyant force on a submerged object is equal to the weight of the fluid that the object displaces. It is essential to understand that when a body floats, it displaces a volume of fluid equal to its weight, which is why the situation is one of balance rather than movement up or down in the fluid.