Subject: Fluid Mechanics -I

Dr. Mustafa B. Al-hadithi

Lecture Six
Floating Bodies.
1- Buoyancy and Stability of Floating Body.
1.1 Buoyancy Force.
The princible of Archimedes is states that, any floating or immersed body in a fluid experiences a
vertical bouyant force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. The derivation of above princible as
follows,
Water Line (W.L.)
FV(1)
Surface 1

Surface 2

FV(2)

Figure 1: Forces on upper and lower curved surface

From Fig. 1 the body lies between an upper curved surface (1) and lower surface (2),
 FV(1)= The vertical force of the fluid weight above the surface(1).
 FV(2)= The vertical force of the fluid weight above the surface(2).
 FB = buoyant force.
 FB = FV(2) - FV(1) = weight of fluid equivalent to body volume.
Now, how to find the vertical force on body, from Fig 2, the sum of vertical forces on elemental vertical
slices of immersed body, that can be derived as follows,
𝐹𝐵 = ∫𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦(𝑝2 − 𝑝1 )𝑑𝐴𝐻
𝐹𝐵 = 𝛾 ∫𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦(𝑧2 − 𝑧1 )𝑑𝐴𝐻 = 𝛾∀𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 (1)
FB acts at the point is called the center of buoyancy.
Since, p1 and p2 are the pressure due to weight of fluid on upper and lower
horizontal surface of elemental area
∀𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 is the body volume.
p= z.
z1 and z2 are the distances from water line to upper and lower horizontal surface of elemental
area.

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 Subject: Fluid Mechanics -I
Dr. Mustafa B. Al-hadithi

p1
Upper horizontal area
of element

Lower horizontal area z2 - z1

of element

p2

Figure 2: Pressures on upper and lower horizontal surface of

elemental area

Ex.1
A body is weight 400N in air and its weight 222N in water. Calculate its volume.
Sol.
The summation of forces is
𝐹𝐵 + 𝑇 − 𝑊 = 0; where T is the tension in cable.
∴ 𝐹𝐵 = 𝑊 − 𝑇 = 400 − 222 = 𝟏𝟕𝟖𝑵 weight of displaced fluid.
𝐹𝐵 = 𝛾 × ∀= 9810 × ∀= 178 N
∴ ∀= 𝟎. 𝟎𝟏𝟖 𝒎𝟑
Ex.2
A spar buoy is a rod weighted to float vertically as in figure. Let the buoy be maple wood (S.G.=0.6),
its dimension are (2 in  2 in  10 ft), floating in seawater (S.G.=1.025) how many pounds of steel
(S.G.=7.85) should be added at the bottom so that (h=18 in).
Sol.
Let ∀𝑠𝑝. = 𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑟 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒; ∀𝐼𝑚𝑚.𝑠𝑝. = 𝐼𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑟 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒;
𝑊𝑠𝑡. = 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡; ∀𝑠𝑡. = 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒; 𝑊𝑠𝑝 = 𝑊𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑟 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
2 2
∀𝑠𝑝. = (12) (12) (10) = 0.273𝑓𝑡 3
𝑊𝑠𝑡. = 𝑚𝑠𝑡. × 𝑔 = 𝜌𝑠𝑡. × ∀𝑠𝑡. × 𝑔
𝜌
𝑆𝐺𝑠𝑡. = 𝜌𝑠𝑡 → 𝜌𝑠𝑡. = 𝑆𝐺𝑠𝑡. × 𝜌𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝜌𝑤 = 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝑤
𝑊𝑠𝑡. 𝑊𝑠𝑡
∴ ∀𝑠𝑡. = (𝑆𝐺 )(𝛾 )
= (7.85)(62.4) (a)
𝑠𝑡. 𝑤
2 2
∀𝐼𝑚𝑚.𝑆𝑝. = (12) (12) (8.5) = 0.236𝑓𝑡 3
From the below figure the buoyant vertical force FB balances the weights of wood and steel as follows:
𝐹𝐵 = 𝑊𝑠𝑝. + 𝑊𝑠𝑡. = (𝜌∀𝑔)𝑠𝑝 + 𝑊𝑠𝑡. = (𝑆𝐺𝛾𝑤 ∀𝑠𝑝. ) + (𝑊𝑠𝑡. ) (b)
Also, FB equal to the weight of water displaced by immersed volume
𝐹𝐵 = 𝑊𝐼𝑚𝑚.𝑠𝑝. + 𝑊𝑠𝑡. = (𝑆𝐺 × 𝛾𝑤 × ∀𝐼𝑚𝑚.𝑆𝑝. ) + (𝑆𝐺 × 𝛾𝑤 × ∀𝑠𝑡. ) (c)
Equating relation (b and c) and substituting Eq. a will be given us the following,
𝑆𝐺 × 𝛾𝑤 (∀𝐼𝑚𝑚.𝑆𝑝. + ∀𝑠𝑡. ) = (𝑆𝐺𝛾𝑤 ∀𝑠𝑝. ) + (𝑊𝑠𝑡. )
𝑠𝑡 𝑊
( 1.025)(62.4) [0.236 + (7.85)(62.4)] = 0.6 × 62.4 × 0.278 + (𝑊𝑠𝑡. )
15.09 + 0.1306𝑊𝑠𝑡. = 10.4 + 𝑊𝑠𝑡. Solving for Wst.

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 Subject: Fluid Mechanics -I
Dr. Mustafa B. Al-hadithi

∴ 𝑊𝑠𝑡. = 5.4 𝑙𝑏𝑓

h=18 in

W.L.
Wsp.
h=10ft

FB

Wst.

1.2 Stability of floating and submerged bodies.

Engineer must design to avoid floating instability; there are three possible situations for a body when
immersed in a fluid.
I. If the weight of the body is greater than the weight of the liquid of equal volume then the body will
sink into the liquid (to keep it floating additional upward force is required).
II. If the weight of the body equals the weight of equal volume of liquid, then the body will submerge
and may stay at any location below the surface.
III. If the weight of the body is less than the weight of equal volume of liquid, then the body will be
partly submerged and will float in the liquid.
A ship or a boat should not overturn due to small disturbances but should be stable and return to
its original position. Equilibrium of a body exists when there is no resultant force or moment on the body.
A body can stay in three states of equilibrium.
i) Stable equilibrium: Small disturbances will create a correcting couple and the body will go back to its
original position prior to the disturbance.
ii) Neutral equilibrium: Small disturbances do not create any additional force and so the body remains
in the disturbed position. No further change in position occurs in this case.
iii) Unstable equilibrium: A small disturbance creates a couple which acts to increase the disturbance
and the body may tilt over completely.
Under equilibrium conditions, two forces of equal magnitude acting along the same line of action,
but in the opposite directions exist on a floating/submerged body. These are the gravitational force on the
body (weight) acting downward along the centroid of the body and buoyant force acting upward along the
centroid of the displaced liquid. Whether floating or submerged, under equilibrium conditions these two
forces are equal and opposite and act along the same line.
Fig.3 illustrates the computation for the usual case of a symmetric floating body. The steps are as
follows;
1- The basic floating position is calculated from
𝐹𝐵 = 𝛾∀𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 = floating body weight
The body's center of mass at point G and center of buoyancy B are computed.

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 Subject: Fluid Mechanics -I
Dr. Mustafa B. Al-hadithi

2- After tilted the body at, new position B' of the center of buoyancy, a vertical line drawn upward
from B' intersects the line of symmetry at point M, called the metacenter. The point about which the
body starts oscillating, is called metacenter.
3- If M is above center of mass where point G as in figure, the metacentric height ̅̅̅̅̅𝑀𝐺 is positive, a
restoring moment is present and the original is stable as in Fig. 2.16.b. If M is below G, the height
̅̅̅̅̅
𝑀𝐺 is negative, the body is unstable and the body will overturn as in Fig. 2.16.c. Stable increase with
̅̅̅̅̅ .
increasing𝑀𝐺

Figure 3: The metacenter M of the floating body.

Fig.4 below shows the body for completely submerged, which has a center of gravity below the
center of buoyancy as in Fig. 4.a. For this configuration the body is stable with respect to small rotation.
If the center of gravity is above the center of buoyancy as in Fig.4.b, the resulting couple formed by the
weight and the buoyant force will cause the body to overturn and to move to a new equilibrium position.
Thus, a completely submerged body with its center of gravity above its center of buoyancy is in an unstable
equilibrium position.

B
B B

(a) (b)
Figure 4: Stability of a completely immersed body (a) CG below B, (b) CG above B

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 Subject: Fluid Mechanics -I
Dr. Mustafa B. Al-hadithi

2- Stability Related to Waterline Area.

̅̅̅̅̅ = 𝐼𝑜 ± 𝐺𝐵
𝑀𝐺 ̅̅̅̅ ; (-) is used if G above B; (+) is used if G below B
∀
𝐼𝑚𝑚.
Where Io is the area moment of inertia of the waterline footprint of the body about its tilt O. The
computation procedure as follows,
 Firstly determine the distance from G to B.
 Then make the calculation of Io, and the submerged volume∀𝐼𝑚𝑚. .
 If metacentric height MG is positive, the body is stable for small disturbances.
 If 𝑀𝐺̅̅̅̅̅ negative then the body is unstable.
Ex.3
Consider a wooden cylinder S.G.=0.6, 1m in diameter and 0.8m long as in Fig.5. Would this cylinder
be stable if placed to float with its axis vertical in oil S.G.=0.85.
Sol.
A vertical force balance gives
𝐹𝐵 = 𝑊𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑
𝛾𝑜𝑖𝑙 ∀𝐼𝑚𝑚. = 𝛾𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑 ∀𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑
0.85 × 1000 × 9.81 × 𝜋𝑅 2 ℎ = 0.6 × 1000 × 9.81 × 𝜋𝑅 2 × 0.8
0.85 × 𝜋𝑅 2 ℎ = 0.6 × 𝜋𝑅 2 × 0.8 𝑅 = 0.5 𝑚
∴ ℎ = 0.565 𝑚
The point B is at h/2 = 0.282 m above the bottom, to predict the metacenter location
𝐼 4
𝑀𝐵 = 𝑜⁄∀ = [𝜋(0.5) ⁄4]⁄[𝜋 × 0.52 × 0.565] = 0.111𝑚
𝐼𝑚𝑚.
𝑀𝐵 = 𝑀𝐺 + 𝐺𝐵
Now, GB=0.4-0.282=0.118m from figure.
Hence, MG = 0.111-0.118 = - 0.007m
This float position is thus slightly unstable. The cylinder would turn over.

0.8m Oil surface

G
B

Figure 5