Neutral buoyancy

Neutral buoyancy occurs when an object's average density is equal to the density of the fluid in which it is immersed, resulting in the buoyant force balancing the force of gravity that would otherwise cause the object to sink (if the body's density is greater than the density of the fluid in which it is immersed) or rise (if it is less). An object that has neutral buoyancy will neither sink nor rise.[1]

Balance of forces on objects with negative, neutral and positive buoyancy
A neutrally buoyant diver does not need to fin to maintain depth

In scuba diving, the ability to maintain neutral buoyancy through controlled breathing, accurate weighting, and management of the buoyancy compensator is an important skill. A scuba diver maintains neutral buoyancy by continuous correction, usually by controlled breathing, as neutral buoyancy is an unstable condition for a compressible object in a liquid.

  1. ^ scuba guru (2019-07-10). "What Is Neutral Buoyancy And How To Achieve Perfect Neutral Buoyancy While Diving". scubaguru.org. scuba guru. Retrieved 2022-11-04. Buoyancy determines if an object floats or sinks.