cm3 of wood is floating on water, and 50 cm3 of iron is totally submerged. Which has the greater buoyant force on it?
The block of metal. The buoyant force in each case correspond to “the amount of water displaced by the immersed object”. For the metal (totally submerged) that is 50cc of water, so the buoyant force there is 50 grammes. To check test with a spring-weight how much weight the block of metal loses as it is lovered into the water. The wooden block is only partly immersed and so displace less than its 50cc volume of water. If you weigh it you will find that its total weight is less than 50 grammes.
