Fluid Mechanics

Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic

University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

College of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering
CE 241

Lecture 8

Buoyancy Forces and Stability

1
 Outline
Curved surfaces
 Pressure stresses at a point;
 Pressure forces on plane surfaces of constant widths;
 Pressure forces on plane surfaces of variable widths;
 Pressure forces on curved surfaces;
 Pressure forces on submerged bodies

Constant width Variable width

plane surfaces plane surfaces

Archimedes’ Principle

2
 Applications of
Archimedes’ Principle

-Swimming;
-Submerged Structures;
-Ships and Submarines Stabilities
-Identification of densities of Metals
-Many other applications

Buoyancy

Whenever a body is immersed wholly or partially in a

fluid, it is subjected to an upward force which tends to
lift (or buoy) it up. This tendency for an immersed body
to be lifted up in the fluid due to an upward force
opposite to action of gravity is known as buoyancy.
The force tending to lift up the body under such
conditions is known as buoyant force (up-thrust).

The magnitude of the buoyant force can be determined

by Archimedes’ principle which states as follows;
“When a body is immersed in a fluid either wholly
or partially, it is buoyed or lifted up by a force,
which is equal to the weight of fluid displaced by
the body” 6

3
 W

Archimedes’ Principle
 An immersed body is subject to an upward buoyant
force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces
(i.e., weight of displaced volume)
kg

kg

3 kg of
water
kg

4
 Archimedes’ Principle
 The apparent weight of an object in a liquid is
gravitational force (weight) minus the buoyant force

Facts from previous lectures

 Force on object by fluid
increases with depth

 Force is always  to surface

 Horizontal forces cancel

 Upward force on bottom is

greater than downward force
on top

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 Buoyancy

Net upward
force is called
the buoyant
force!!!
Easier to lift a
rock in
water!!

submerged tunnel

Sources of Buoyancy

What are the forces

on the shown
submerged tunnel?

weight

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 Sources of Buoyancy
W1
W2
B B
FHuL FHuR
A C A C
FHdL FHdR
weight weight
D

SFx =0, SFy =W2-W1=.r2 x l x gw

Buoyancy
 The magnitude of the buoyant force is equal
to the weight of the fluid displaced by the
body:
Fb  gVdisplaced  gVdisplaced
Or Fb = Submerged Volume of the body x gfluid

 Buoyant force passes through the center of

buoyancy, which is at the centroid of the displaced
volume of fluid.

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 Buoyancy
For fully submerged bodies

 If W = FB , , the body is in equilibrium & the

densities of fluid and body are equal
 If W > FB , the body will sink
 If W < FB , the body will rise until W and FB
are equal
 This means that for a body in a liquid with
free surface if W is less than the weight of
the same volume of liquid, it will rise and
float on the surface so that W = FB

Archimedes’ Principle
 If the buoyant force on an object is greater than
the force of gravity acting on the object, the object
will float and vice versa

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 Important Definitions
 Before starting applications of the buoyancy, we
need to make sure that the following definitions are
well known.

What are the differences

between Center of Buoyancy
and Center of Mass and
Center of Gravity?

Important Notes

 Weight is acting vertically downward on the CG of

the body;
 Buoyancy Force is acting vertically upward on the
CB (center of buoyancy) of the displaced volume
of the fluid.

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 Example 1

 A 500 lb buoy, with a 2 ft radius is tied to the bed

of a lake using a steel cable. What is the tensile
force in the cable?

FB
gW = 62.4
lbs/ft3

Example 1 – cont.
Displaced Volume of Water: Buoyant Force:
Vdisp-W = 4/3 x  x R3 FB = gW x Vdisp-w
Vdisp-W = 33.51 ft3 FB = 62.4 x 33.51

FB = 2091.024 lbs up

Sum of the Forces:

SFy = 0 = 500 - 2091.024 + T
FB
T = 1591.024 lbs down

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 Archimedes’ Story

So what should I do
now?
‫لقد وقعت فى الفخ‬

Archimedes’ Story
Step one (in air):
The Golden Alloy of
Crown Pure gold

Step two (in water):

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 Archimedes’ Story
Step one (in air):
The Golden Alloy of
Crown Pure gold

Wcrown = Walloy
Mcrown=Malloy
Vol1 x 1=Vol2 x 2

Step two (in water):

FB_crown > FB_alloy

Vol1>Vol2
1< 2

Example 2
As shown, a cube (L = 60 mm) suspended in carbon
tetracloride (SG=1.59) is exactly balanced by an object of
mass m1 = 700 g. Find the weight of the cube.
W1=W2-FB
m1g=m2g-FB
FB=Vol of cube x SG x gw
m2g=m1g+Vol of cube x SG x gw
m2=m1+Vol of cube x SG x w

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 Archimedes’ Principle- Application
 A body immersed in a fluid experiences a
buoyant force equal to the weight of fluid
displaced
 Here,
(FB) = R1 + R2
R1 = V1 1 g
R2 = V2 2 g
 FB = g (V1 1 + V2 2)

Archimedes’ Principle - application

 Buoyant forces will act through centroids of
V1 and V2 (G1 and G2 respectively)
 If equilibrium exists on a body of density b
then:
(V1 + V2) b g = g (V1 1 + V2 2)
or (V1 + V2) b = (V1 1 + V2 2)

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 Conceptual Questions
1. Three spheres of the same diameter are submerged in water.
One sphere is steel, the second is a spherical balloon filled with
water and the third is a spherical balloon filled with air

steel Filled with water Filled with air

a b c

i-Which sphere has the largest buoyant force?

Conceptual Questions
0.3m

3m
steel

ii- If you move the steel sphere from a depth of 0.3m to 3.0m,
what happens to the magnitude of the buoyant force acting on
that sphere?

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 Conceptual Questions

1m

steel Filled with water Filled with air

a b c

iii-If all 3 balls are released from a cage at a depth 1m, what
happens to the three spheres and why?

Types Equilibrium of Floating

• Stable Equilibrium
When a body is given a small angular displacement by
some external force, and then it returns back to its
original position due to the internal forces (the weight
and the upthrust).

• Unstable Equilibrium
If the body does not return to its original position from
the slightly displaced angular position and heels farther
away, when given a small angular displacement.

• Neutral Equilibrium
If a body, when given a small angular displacement,
occupies a new position and remains at rest in this new
position. 30 Buoyancy and Floatation

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 31

32

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 Metacentre and Metacentric Height

Metacentre

• The metacentre is defined as a point of

intersection of the axis of body passing
through c.g. (G) and original centre of
buoyancy (B) and a vertical line passing
through the centre of buoyancy (B1) of the
tilted position of the body.

• The position of metacentre (M) remains

practically constant for the small angle of tilt
θ.
34

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 Metacentric Height

The distance between the centre of gravity

of a floating body and the metacentre.
(GM)
• For stable equilibrium, the position of
metacentre M remains higher than c.g.
of the body G.
• For unstable equilibrium, the position
of metacentre M lower than G.
• For neutral equilibrium, the position of
metacentre M coincides with G.

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Stability

Concept of Stability

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 Stability

 Assume a submerged body is in equilibrium

 Assume it is given a slight displacement

 If the created forces tend to restore the body to

the original position, it is said that the body is in
stable equilibrium such as shown

Stability
 The condition of stability of submerged body
is that the centre of buoyancy must be above
the center of gravity of the body

B
B
G G FB
W

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 Stability

 Stability of a
submerged body
(unstable case)
when center of
gravity is above
center of buoyancy

Stability

Stability of a floating body (stable case) 

Center of gravity is below the metacenter

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 Stability of Floating Bodies

W W

G G
B B B'
FB
FB

Original water line

New water line

Stability of Floating Bodies

W W

G
G
M
B B
B

FB
FB

Original water line

New water line

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 Stability of Floating Bodies
W
M
W G
M
G B
B
B B'

FB
FB

Stable Unstable

Stability of Floating Bodies

 In floating bodies centre of buoyancy
could be either above or below the
centre of gravity
 M is the metacenter point
 MG is the metacentric height
 If M is above G the body is stable
 If M is below G the body is unstable
 If M coincides with G the body is in a neutral
condition

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 Stability of Floating Bodies

Stable Unstable

Stability of Floating Bodies –

Quantifying the stability condition

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 Example 3
Determine the minimum volume of concrete (γ = 23.6 kN/m3) needed
to keep the gate (5 m wide) in a closed position, with ℓ = 2.5 m. Note
the hinge at the bottom of the gate.

Example 4
The shown wooden beam has dimensions of 140mm x 140mm
x 5m and it is hinged at A. At what angle q will the beam float if
the specific gravity of the wood is (SGwood = 0.6)?

5m

1m q

water

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 Example 5
A 0.6m thick wood block (SG=0.6) is submerged in oil (SG=0.8)
and is connected to a 0.6m thick aluminium plate (Specific
weight =26.54 KN/m3). Determine the force required
(magnitude, direction and its distance X from point A) to hold
the block in the given position

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 Example 6
A barge 6m wide and 12 m long is loaded with rocks. If CG is at
the top surface (as shown) and the total weight is 1780kN, will
it be floating upright or tip over?

6m

12m

Example 6
A barge 6m wide and 12 m long is loaded with rocks. If CG is at
the top surface (as shown) and the total weight is 1780kN, will
it be floating upright or tip over?

6m

12m

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 Example 7
The floating platform shown is supported at each corner by a hollow
sealed cylinder 1 m in diameter. The platform itself weighs 30 kN in air,
and each cylinder weighs 1.0 kN per meter of length. What total cylinder
length L is required for the platform to float 1 m above the water
surface? Assume that the specific weight of the water (brackish) is
10,000 N/m3. The platform is square in plan view

Example 8
A rectangular in plan (200mx250m; external dimensions) storm detention pond is to be
constructed to receive storm water during summer. If the maximum groundwater table
during the non-rainy seasons is 1m below the ground surface, it is required to check the
given design that is prepared by a consultancy office knowing that:
- the depth of pond is 10m below the ground surface;
- concrete thicknesses are 1m and 0.5m for bottom slab and walls respectively;
- take specific weight of concrete as 23000 N/m3;
- consider density of groundwater equals 1005 kg/m3;
- check the worst condition wrt buoyancy forces.

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 Example 9:
A solid cylinder 2m in diameter and 2m high is
floating in water with its axis vertical. If the
specific gravity of the material of cylinder is 0.65.
(i) Find its metacentric height.
(ii) State also whether the equilibrium is stable or
unstable.

55

G 2
B 1.3

N.B: The -ve sign means that the metacentric (M)

is below the centre the gravity (G).
Thus the cylinder is in unstable equilibrium.

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 Example 10
A conical buoy as shown in Figure, 1.0m long and
of base diameter 1.6m floats in water with its
apex downward.
Determine the minimum weight of the buoy to be
in stable equilibrium

h B

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 r

59

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