1.

The metacentric height experiment objectives are to determine the stability of a pontoon with
its center of gravity at various heights. Center of gravity is the point in a body where the
gravitational force may be taken to act. Center of buoyancy is the center of the gravity of the
volume of water which a floating body displaces. Answer all questions below with the academic
explanations.
a) What will happen if the centre of gravity and the centre of buoyancy of a floating object are
the same? Explain the reasons.
b) When and why will the floating object become unstable?
c) What will happen if we changed the water with other fluids such as oil in the sink? Explain
your reasons.
d) Based from this concept of stability, give one application that can apply at your daily life.
Explain.
Solution:
a) The centre of gravity is the average location of the gravitational force acting on an object
whereas the centre of buoyancy of a floating object is the centre of the volume of water a
floating object displaces. The floating object will be neutrally stable if the centre of gravity
and the centre of buoyancy are the same and it means that they tend to stay in whatever
position they are placed. For such floating object, there is no tendency to overturn or right
them.
b) When the centre of buoyancy is below the centre of gravity in a floating object, the floating
object will become unstable. This is because the weight and the buoyant force acting on the
tilted body generate an overturning moment and causing the floating object to capsize.
Actually, the metacentre is very important in this case. As if the metacentre is above the
centre of gravity, the metacentric height is positive, it may stable although the centre of
buoyancy is below the centre of gravity. If the metacentre is below the centre of gravity, the
metacentric height is negative; the floating object off course will become unstable.

c) If we changed the water with other fluids such as oil in the sink, of course it will affect the
stability of the pontoon. As all the fluids has their own density. Density is actually the mass
of a substance per unit volume. A floating object will float higher in a denser fluid. As in oil,
the density is less dense than water. So its automatically will float lower than water.
Moreover, a floating object with a higher average density than the fluid will never
experience more buoyancy than weight and it will sink or vice versa. When a floating body
floats lower, it would be much stable than floating higher in water as the centre of gravity is
lower.
d) The concept of stability can be applied on a ship or a ferry or a boat. Nearly all boats have
their centre of buoyancy below their centre of gravity, and are said to be metastable. As a
typical boat tips, more of the hull on one side tips deeper into the water and the hull on the
other side moves out of the water. The result is that the centre of buoyancy shifts to the side
where more water is displaced. The centre of gravity remains in the same place in the boat
since the boat itself has not changed. The upward force concentrated at the centre of
buoyancy, has shifted laterally away from the centre of gravity, and therefore there is a now
a torque, equivalent to the buoyancy force multiplied by the distance that the centre of
buoyancy has shifted laterally away from the centre of gravity. This torque is the "righting
moment"; that is, the torque that opposes the tipping of the boat. This only works for
relatively small tipping angles. If you tip such a boat too far, it becomes unstable and
capsizes. It is very difficult or even impossible to design practical boats or ships to ensure
their centre of buoyancy is above their centre of mass, to ensure unconditional stability.
Essentially all boats and ships are therefore designed to be metastable, with their centre of
buoyancy below their centre of gravity. This is why ships stay upright in normal conditions,
but can capsize if excessively stormy conditions cause them to tip too far.
2. One wagon has been placed on the ship and causing the ship to capsize. Explain why these
happen.
3. From this experiment of flowmeter, the data are tabulated in the Table 1. Calculate and show
calculation of:
a) Ideal flowrate, Qi(LPM)
b) Find the percentage error
c) Explain your observation based on your findings. Write down the sample of calculation
for each flowrate.

Qav(LPM)
15.4
14.3
12.4

hA
117.0
140.0
244.0

hB
102.0
129.0
235.0

Water head (mm)

hC
hD
hE
37.0
76.0
87.0
70.0
106.0
114.0
185.0
220.0
230.0

a) To calculate ideal flowrate, Qi(LPM):

hF
100.0
129.0
243.0

hA- hC
80.0
70.0
59.0

hA- hC
(m)
0.080
0.070
0.059