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TOPIC 4: BUOYANCY AND STABILITY

4.1 Archimedes Principle

When a body is immersed in a liquid, the liquid will exert an upward force on the body equal
to the weight of the liquid displaced by the body. This upward force exerted by the liquid on
the body is called the force of buoyancy or upthrust. This principle is called Archimedes’
principle of buoyancy.

4.2 Stability of floating bodies

Since the force of buoyancy is a vertical force and equal to the weight of the liquid displaced
by the body, the point of action of the buoyant force is the centre of gravity of the liquid
displaced. This point of action of the buoyant force is called the centre of buoyancy.

Figure (a) shows a body floating in a liquid and in equilibrium. Let G be the centre of gravity
of the body and B be the centre of buoyancy. Obviously B and G lie on the same vertical.
Suppose now the body is given a tilt by a small angle as shown in figure (b). The centre of
buoyancy will now shift to a new position B1. The upthrust will now be an upward force
through B1.

The line of action of the upthrust in this new position will intersect the normal axis of the
body at a point say M. This point M is called the metacentre.

This is the point at which the line of action of the upthrust will meet the normal axis of the
body when the body is tilted by a small angle. The distance MG between the metacentre
and the centre of gravity of the body is called the metacentric-height.
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When a body is floating in a liquid, the weight of the body is equal to the weight of the
liquid displaced. For equilibrium, the resultant upthrust (U) on the body must be equal to
the weight of the body (W) and the two forces must act in the same line.

When the metacentre is above the centre of gravity as in figure (a) and (b), we find, on
giving a small tilt to the floating body, the weight of the body and the upthrust will form a
Righting couple i.e. a restoring couple to bring the body back to its position. The body is,
therefore, said to be in stable equilibrium.

When the metacentre is below the centre of gravity as in figure (c) and (d), we find on giving
a small tilt to the floating body, the weight of the body and the upthrust will make the body
tilt further and the body will not therefore be restored to its earlier position. In this case the
body is said to be in unstable equilibrium.

When the metacentre and the centre of gravity coincide, the body will remain in equilibrium
in any position in which it is floating. See figure (d).

If the body is tilted, it will remain in equilibrium in the new position, since in the new
position also the weight of the body and the upthrust will remain in the same vertical. A
body floating in this way is said to be in neutral equilibrium.

4.3 Metacentre of floating bodies

The metacentric height is a measure of the statical stability of the ship. The metacentric
height of large ships varies from 0.3 to 3.5 m. For different types of ships, the normal values
of the metacentric height are given below:
(a) Merchant ships 0.3 to 1 m
(b) Sailing ships 0.45 to 1.25 m
(c) Battle ships 1 to 1.5 m
(d) River crafts up to 3.5 m

Example 4.3.1
Determine the metacentric of a ferry across the Selat Melaka. The water density is 1200
kg/m3. The ferry dimension is 30 m x 20 m x 10 m. The ferry mass is 600 tones metric.
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Solution
W ferry = 600 × 1000 × 9.81 = 5886000 N

Wdisplacedwater = W ferry

ρgV = 5886000
(1200)(9.81)(30 × 20 × d )= 5886000
5886000
d= = 0.833 m (depth of ferry bottom immersed )
7063200

d 0.833
OB = = = 0.4165 m
2 2

BG = OG – OB = 10/2 – 0.4165 = 4.5835 m

3
bd 3 (30)(20)
I 12 12
MB = = = = 40.016 m
V 30 × 20 × d 600 × 0.833

GM = MB – BG = 40.016 – 4.5835 = 35.4325 m

Exercise 4.3.1
A wood with a dimension 50 cm (L) x 30 cm (W) x 10 cm (H) is floating in water with 20
percent of its volume is above the water surface. The wood floating in stable equilibrium.
Determine the wood mass, wood density and metacentric height.
(Answer: Wood mass = 12 kg, wood density = 800 kgm-3, MG = 0.084 m)

Exercise 4.3.2
A ferry with a mass 91 tones floating in a sea (ρ = 1026 kg/m3). Determine the metacentric
height of the ferry. Ferry dimension is 12 m x 7.6 m x 3m.
(Answer: 3.94 m)

Exercise 4.3.3
Figure below showed a wood block measure 0.4m x 0.3 m x 0.2 m floating in water. The
wood relative density is 0.60. Determine the value of d.

(Answer: 0.12 m)
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Exercise 4.3.4
A ship with a mass 4000 tones floating on sea (ρsea = 1025 kgm-3). Ballast water was
discharge from the ship and its mass 200 tones, the ship immersed become 6.4m. Then the
ship cruise along a river. What is the depth of ship immersed if the ship on river (ρriver = 1000
kgm-3).
(Answer: 6.56 m)

Exercise 4.3.5
A stone weight was 500N in air, the same stone weight 225 N in water. Calculate the stone
volume and relative density.
(Answer: 0.028 m3, 1.82)

Exercise 4.3.6
A cylinder with diameter 2 m, height 1 m and mass 800 kg floating in water. Find the
metacentric height and the type of equilibrium.

(Answer: 0.6093 m, stable equilibrium)

Exercise 4.3.7
A ferry with mass 91 tones was floating in sea (ρ = 1026 kg/m3). Determine the metacentric
height of the ferry. The ferry dimension is 12.2 m (long) x 7.6 m (width) x 3 m (height).
(Answer: 4.01 m)

Exercise 4.3.8
A wood cube measure 0.5 m was floating in water. The wood density was 600 kgm -3. Find
the depth of immersed, d of the wood.
(Answer: 0.3 m)

Exercise 4.3.9
A pontoon weight is 50 tones. The pontoon size is 6m width, 15m long and 2.4m height.
What is the depth immersed if the pontoon was loaded with 130 x 10 3 kg gravel stone. The
pontoon was in sea with a density 1025 kgm-3.
(Answer: 1.95 m)

Exercise 4.3.10
A rectangular pontoon was used to transport an agriculture crop through a river (ρ = 1000
kg/m3). Width and long of the pontoon are 8.5m and 27.4m. Without load, the pontoon
depth of immersed was 1.5m. The depth of immersed when the pontoon loaded is 2.1m.
Determine the pontoon weight without load and the weight of the agriculture crop.
(Answer: 3427123.5 N, 1370849.4 N)
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Exercise 4.3.11
Determine the volume and relative density of an object if the object weight in air is 2703N
and in water is 1909N (fully immersed).
(Answer: 0.081 m3, 3.4)

Exercise 4.3.12
An object measure 0.5 m x 0.2 m x h m floating in water as shown in figure below. Calculate
the depth, d. Object mass is 10 kg.

(Answer: 0.1 m)

Exercise 4.3.13
A wood shaped cuboids measure 0.4 m (width) x 0.6 m (long) x 1 m (height) floating in water
as shown in diagram below. Wood relative density is 0.65. Find the depth immersed, d.

(Answer: 0.65 m)