%0 Journal Article %T ¡°Total force¡± on bodies immersed in air and water: An error living three centuries in physics textbooks %A JOSIP SLISKO %J Review of Science, Mathematics and ICT Education %D 2010 %I Metaichmio Publications %X This article presents numerous examples of an erroneous conception, stating that the ¡°total force¡± by which a fluid acts on an immersed body is equal to the product of corresponding fluid pressure and the body¡¯s surface area. This conception, which started its long life at the beginning of XVIII century, still appears in today¡¯s physics textbooks published in different countries for different educational levels. It is formulated either as an ¡°astonishing fact¡± or should be ¡°discovered¡± through students¡¯ calculations. In the last case, students¡¯ knowledge may be unnecessary fragmented. Finally, a few differences between cultures of school and research physics are shortly discussed. %K Total force on an immersed body %K physics textbooks %U http://www.ecedu.upatras.gr/review/papers/4_1/4_1_5_23.pdf