BUOYANCY

PREPARED BY:
AAMINA RAJPUT
LECTURER CED
INTRODUCTION
• Buoyancy:
When a body is immersed in a fluid, an upward force is exerted by the fluid on the
body. This upward force is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body and
is called the force of buoyancy or simply buoyancy.

• Centre of buoyancy:
It is defined as the point, through which the force of buoyancy is supposed to act. As
the force of buoyancy is a vertical force and is equal to the weight of fluid displaced
by the body, the centre of buoyancy will be the centre of gravity of the fluid
displaced.
This result is known as Archimedes’ principle.

If W>R , object will sink

If W<R, object will float
If W=R, object is neutrally buoyant, i.e. it will remain in place without either sinking or rising
ARCHIMEDES’ PRINCIPLE
A BODY IMMERSED IN TWO FLUIDS
If a body is immersed so that part of its volume V1 is immersed in a fluid of density ρ1
and the rest of its volume V2 in another immiscible fluid of mass density ρ2

Upthrust on upper part, R1 = ρ1gV1

acting through G1, the centroid of V1,
Upthrust on lower part, R2 = ρ2gV2
acting through G2, the centroid of V2,
Total upthrust = ρ1gV1 + ρ2gV2.

The positions of G1 and G2 are not necessarily on the same vertical line, and the centre
of buoyancy of the whole body is, therefore, not bound to pass through the centroid of
the whole body.
METACENTRE
It is defined as the point about which a body starts oscillating when the body is tilted by a
small angle. OR
The point at which the line of action of the force of buoyancy will meet the normal axis of
the body when the body is given a small angular displacement.
Consider a body floating in a liquid. Let the body is in equilibrium and G the centre of
gravity and B the centre of buoyancy. For equilibrium, both the points lie on the normal
axis, which is vertical.
Let the body is given a small displacement in the
clockwise direction. The centre of buoyancy, which
is the centre of gravity of the displaced liquid will
now be shifted towards right from normal axis. Let it
is at B1 as shown in figure. The line of action of the
force of buoyancy in this new position, will intersect
the normal axis of the body at some point say M.
This point M is called metacenter
EQUILIBRIUM OF FLOATING BODIES
When a body floats in vertical equilibrium in a liquid, the forces present are the upthrust
R acting through the centre of buoyancy B and the weight of the body W = mg acting
through its centre of gravity. For equilibrium, R and W must be equal and act in the same
straight line. Now, R will be equal to the weight of fluid displaced, ρgV, where V is the
volume of fluid displaced; therefore,

V = mg/ρg = m/ρ

The equilibrium of a body may be stable, unstable or neutral, depending upon whether,
when given a small displacement, it tends to return to the equilibrium position, move
further from it or remain in the displaced position. For a floating body, such as a ship,
stability is of major importance.
STABILITY OF A SUBMERGED BODY
For a body totally immersed in a fluid, the weight W = mg acts through the centre of
gravity of the body, while the upthrust R acts through the centroid of the body B,
which is the centre of buoyancy.
Whatever the orientation of the body, these two points will remain in the same
positions relative to the body.
It can be seen that a small angular displacement θ from the equilibrium position will
generate a moment W × BG × θ. If the centre of gravity G is below the centre of
buoyancy B, this will be a righting moment and the body will tend to return to its
equilibrium position. However, if the centre of gravity is above the centre of
buoyancy, an overturning moment is produced and the body is unstable. Note that,
as the body is totally immersed, the shape of the displaced fluid is not altered when
the body is tilted and so the centre of buoyancy remains unchanged relative to the
body.
STABILITY OF A SUBMERGED BODY
• Stable equilibrium: when W=R and point B is above G
• Unstable equilibrium: when W=R and point G is above B
• Neutral equilibrium: when W=R and point B & G are at same point
STABILITY OF A FLOATING BODY
Consider a body floating in equilibrium. The weight W = mg acts through the centre of
gravity G and the upthrust R acts through the centre of buoyancy B of the displaced fluid
in the same straight line as W.
When the body is displaced through an angle θ, W continues to act through G; the
volume of liquid remains unchanged since R = W, but the shape of this volume changes
and its centre of gravity, which is the centre of buoyancy, moves relative to the body from
B to B1. Since R and W are no longer in the same straight line, a turning moment
proportional to W × θ is produced, which in Fig. (above) is a righting moment and in Fig.
(below) is an overturning moment. If M is the point at which the line of action of the
upthrust R cuts the original vertical through the centre of gravity of the body G,
x = GM × θ
provided that the angle of tilt θ is small, so that sin θ = tan θ = θ in radians. The point M
is called the metacentre and the distance GM is the metacentric height.
STABILITY OF A FLOATING BODY
STABILITY OF A FLOATING BODY
Stable equilibrium: If M lies above G, a righting moment W × GM × θ is produced,
equilibrium is stable and GM is regarded as positive.
Unstable equilibrium: If M lies below G, an overturning moment W × GM × θ is
produced, equilibrium is unstable and GM is regarded as negative.
Neutral equilibrium: If M coincides with G, the body is in neutral equilibrium.
Since a floating body can tilt in any
direction, it is usual, for a ship, to consider
displacement about the longitudinal
(rolling) and transverse (pitching) axes.
The position of the metacentre and the
value of the metacentric height will
normally be different for rolling and
pitching.
METACENTRIC HEIGHT
The distance MG, i.e. the distance between the metacenter of a floating body and the
centre of gravity of the body is called metacentric height.

EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF THE METACENTRIC HEIGHT

The metacentric height of a floating vessel can be determined, provided we know the
centre of gravity of the floating vessel. Let w1 is a known weight placed over the centre of
the vessel which is floating.

W= weight of vessel
including w1
G= centre of gravity of the
vessel
B= centre of buoyancy of the
vessel
EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF
THE METACENTRIC HEIGHT
The weight w1 is moved across the vessel towards right through a distance x, the vessel
will be tilted. The angle of heel 𝜃 is measured by means of plumbline and a protractor
attached to vessel. The new centre of gravity of vessel will be shifted to G1, as the
weight w1 has been moved towards right. Also the centre of buoyancy will change to B1
as the vessel has tilted. Under equilibrium, the moment caused by the shift of the
centre of gravity from G to G1, thus

The moment due to change of G = GG1*W =W*GM tan𝜃

The moment due to movement of w1 = w1 *x
w1*x = W*GM tan𝜃
𝒘𝟏
GM = 𝐱
𝑾 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝜽
ANOTHER RELATION FROM ANALYTICAL DETERMINATION
METACENTRIC RADIUS= BM = I/V
where V = volume of liquid displaced
PROBLEM # 1
Find the volume of water displaced and position of centre of buoyancy for a wooden
block of width 2.5m and depth 1.5m, when it floats horizontally in water. The density
of wooden block is 650 kg/m3 and its length 6m.
PROBLEM # 2
A stone weighs 392.4 N in air and 196.2 N in water. Compute the volume of stone and
its specific gravity
PROBLEM # 3
Find density of a metallic body which floats at the interface of mercury of sp.gr. 13.6
and water such that 40% of its volume is submerged in mercury and 60% in water.
PROBLEM # 4
A rectangular pontoon has a width B of 6 m, a length l of 12 m, and a draught D of 1.5 m
in fresh water (density 1000kgm−3).
Calculate:
(a) the weight of the pontoon,
(b) its draught in sea water (density 1025kgm−3) and
(c) the load (in kilo newtons) that can be supported by the pontoon in fresh water if the
maximum draught permissible is 2 m.
PROBLEM # 5
A cylindrical buoy 1.8 m in diameter, 1.2 m high and weighing 10kN floats in salt water
of density 1025kg m−3. Its centre of gravity is 0.45 m from the bottom. If a load of 2 kN
is placed on the top, find the maximum height of the centre of gravity of this load
above the bottom if the buoy is to remain in stable equilibrium.
PROBLEM # 6
A solid cylinder of diameter 4m has a height of 4m. Find the metacentric height of the
cylinder if the specific gravity of the material of cylinder is 0.6 and it is floating in
water with its axis vertical. State whether the equilibrium is stable or unstable.