What buoyancy means in practice
Buoyancy is the upward force exerted by a fluid on an immersed object. It equals the weight of the fluid displaced. Comparing that upward force with the object’s weight helps explain floating, sinking and neutral buoyancy.
An example to think through
In a classroom sketch, draw one arrow upward for buoyant force and one downward for weight. Label the forces before discussing equipment. This keeps the explanation focused on physics instead of treating “buoyancy” as another name for the BCD.
A common misunderstanding
Buoyancy is a force; a BCD is one piece of equipment used when managing buoyancy.
Underlying concept: OpenStax, College Physics 2e — 11.7 Archimedes’ Principle. The example is an original YouDive study prompt, not a reported dive.