I’m not sure I 100% understand the buoyant force on the atomic scale. I know the force is due to pressure exerted on the object, due to the volume of the fluid that the object displaces. I’m under the understanding that the reasoning for this is that the displaced fluid pushed against the walls of its container, which in turn apply a normal force to the fluid, which is transferred to the object against the force of gravity.
If this isn’t the case, then if someone could try to explain to me why displacing a volume of the fluid exerts a force on the object?
Anyway, say there is a large body of water falling through space, with a force applied to it due to gravity. The fluid has no container, and accelerates downwards forever. If an object were placed inside the the fluid, would the fluid exert a buoyant force against the pull of gravity?