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Lesson 4-Buoyancy

This document discusses buoyancy and the principles of floating bodies. It defines buoyancy as the upthrust force exerted by a fluid on a submerged object. Archimedes' principle states that the buoyant force is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. The three types of equilibrium for floating bodies are defined: stable, unstable, and neutral. The document uses diagrams to illustrate stable and unstable equilibrium, and defines the metacentre and metacentric height which determine stability. It provides an example problem to calculate the metacentric height of a floating block.

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49 views

Lesson 4-Buoyancy

This document discusses buoyancy and the principles of floating bodies. It defines buoyancy as the upthrust force exerted by a fluid on a submerged object. Archimedes' principle states that the buoyant force is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. The three types of equilibrium for floating bodies are defined: stable, unstable, and neutral. The document uses diagrams to illustrate stable and unstable equilibrium, and defines the metacentre and metacentric height which determine stability. It provides an example problem to calculate the metacentric height of a floating block.

Uploaded by

Ptah Ndung'u
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Buoyancy: Stability of

Submerged and Floating bodies.


Thursday 14th February 2019
Buoyancy
• When a body is placed in a liquid, it is
subjected to two forces :
(a) Gravitational and
(b) Upthrust of the liquid.

• The two forces act opposite to each other, and


are equal.

• The tendency of a fluid to uplift a submerged


body due to the upthrust of the fluid is known
as buoyancy (or force of buoyancy).
Archimedes’ Principle
• ‘When a body is immersed in a fluid either wholly or partially, it is
lifted or buoyed by the upthrust (or buoyant force) which is equal to
the weight of the fluid displaced by the body’.

• The center of gravity of the displaced fluid is known as the center of


buoyancy and is always the centre of gravity of the fluid displaced.

• If the density of the body is less than that of the fluid (i.e. liquid)
displaced, the body rises to the surface.
Floating body
• A floating body orientates itself such
that the center of gravity is located
vertically above the center of
buoyancy.

• For equilibrium:
• Weight of body W = Weight of liquid
displaced.
• R and W must act in the same vertical
straight line.
Example
• A block of wood 4m long × 2m wide × 1m deep is floating horizontally
in water. If the density of wood is 700 kg/m3, determine the volume
of water displaced and the position of center of buoyancy.
Solution
(i) Volume of water displaced, V:
• Volume of block = 4×2×1 = 8 m3
• Density of wood = 700 kg/m3
• Weight of block,W = 8×700 = 5600 kg
•
∴Volume of water displaced,
V = weight of block/density of water
= 5600/1000 = 5.6 m3

(ii) Position of center of buoyancy, B:


• Depth of immersion = volume/cross-sectional area
= 5.6/(4×2) = 0.7m

∴Center of buoyancy, B = 0.7/2 = 0.35m (from base)


Types of Equilibrium of Floating Bodies
• There are three conditions of equilibrium of a floating body

• The stability is determined by the forces acting when the body has been
disturbed from its position of static equilibrium.
Types of Equilibrium of Floating Bodies
(a) Stable equilibrium- A small displacement from equilibrium position
produces a righting moment tending to restore the body to
equilibrium.

(b) Unstable equilibrium- A small displacement produces an


overturning moment, tending to displace the body further from its
equilibrium position.

(c) Neutral equilibrium- A small displacement does not affect the


stability of the body, since it remains at rest in any position to which
it is displaced.
Body in Stable Equilibrium
The body shown on the left will move to the position on the right after a
slight displacement.
Body in Stable Equilibrium
• On the Left – before displacement
• Weight W acts through the centre of gravity G.
• Upthrust R acts through centre of buoyancy B.
• Both R and W act in straight line.

• On the right – after displacement of the body


from equilibrium:
• W continues to act through G
• Volume of liquid displaced remains constant, since
R= W.
• However, slope of volume changes, so that the
position of center of buoyancy moves relative to the
body, with buoyancy moving to B’.
• R and W no longer act in a straight line, but are still
equal but opposite parallel forces, producing a
turning moment Wx, which is a righting moment.
For a small angle of tilt θ,

• Righting moment = Wx
= W·GM·θ ( for small angles, tan θ = sin θ = θ
radians)
Body in Stable Equilibrium
• M is known as the metacentre and is the point at
which the line of action R for the displaced
position cuts the original vertical through the
center of gravity G.

• The metacentre is also defined as the point


about which the body oscillates if slightly
displaced.

• The distance GM is known as the metacentric


height, and is the distance between the center of
gravity of a floating body and the metacentre.
Body in Unstable Equilibrium
• The body on the left will move to the position shown on the right
after displacement
Body in Unstable Equilibrium
• On the left- before displacement

• On the right – after displacement


• W continues to act at G
• Volume of liquid displaced remains
constant, but the shape of the liquid
changes, thereby affecting its position
of the center of gravity relative to the
body, and also the position of the
center of buoyancy, now located at B’.
• R and W do not act in a straight line,
but are still equal but opposite parallel
forces, producing an overturning
moment, Wx = W·GM·θ
Equilibrium-Summary
(i) If M lies above G, a righting moment W·GM·θ is produced. The body is in stable
equilibrium, and GM is regarded as positive.

(ii) If M lies below G, an overturning moment W·GM·θ is produced. The body is in


unstable equilibrium and GM is regarded as negative.

(iii) If M coincides with G, the body is in neutral equilibrium.

• When a body floats, it can tilt in any direction. In the case of a ship the
displacement about the longitudinal axis is referred to as rolling, while that along
a transverse displacement is known as pitching.

• The position of metacentre and the value of metacentric height will usually be
different for the two conditions.
Determination of Metacentric Height of a Vessel
• The metacentric height may be
determined by the following methods:
Experimental method and Analytical
method.

• A block of wood of size 100×40×30mm


and specific gravity 0.8 floats in water as
shown.
• Determine its metacentric height for tilt
about its longitudinal axis, and state
whether it is in stable equilibrium.

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