HES2340 Fluid Mechanics 1

Tutorial 3
Hydrostatic force on submerged (plane) surfaces

1. For the gate, o = 4S, y
1
= 1 mm, and y
2
= 4 mm. Will the gate fall or stay in position
under the action of the hydrostatic and gravity forces if the gate itself weighs 150 kN and
is 1.0 m wide? Assume I = 1u (pg = 981u Nm
3
). Use calculations to justify your
answer.


2. Determine the hydrostatic force F on the triangular gate, which is hinged at the bottom
edge and held by the reaction R
1
at the upper corner. Express F in terms of y, b, and w.
Also determine the ratio R
1
F. Neglect the weight of the gate.



3. As shown below, a round viewing window of diameter = u.8 m is situated in a large
tank of seawater(S = 1.uS). The top of the window is 1.2 m below the water surface, and
the window is angled at 60 with respect to the horizontal. Find the hydrostatic force
acting on the window and locate the corresponding CP (center of pressure). For seawater,
SG=1.03 and y = 1u1uu N/m
3
.


4. Determine force P necessary to just opening the 2 m-wide gate. Assuming for water,
y = 981u N/m
3
.




Hydrostatic force on submerged (curved) surfaces

5. The dam is a quarter circle 50 m wide into the paper. Determine the horizontal and vertical
components of the hydrostatic force against the dam and the point CP (center of pressure)
where the resultant force strikes the dam.



6. Compute the horizontal and vertical components of the hydrostatic force on the quarter-
circle panel at the bottom of the water tank.




Buoyancy and Stability

7. The partially submerged wood pole is attached to the wall by a hinge as shown. The pole
is in equilibrium under the action of the weight and buoyant forces. Determine the density
of the wood. Assume y = pg = 981u Nm
3
for water.




8. A hot air balloon (approximated as a sphere of diameter 15 m) is to lift a basket load of
2670 N. To what temperature must the air be heated in order to achieve lift off? Assuming
atmospheric pressure throughout (inside and outside of the balloon) and density of the
atmosphere at sea level is 1.227 kg/m
3
.




9. A hydrometer is a specific gravity indicator, the value being indicated by the level at
which the free surface intersects the stem when floating in a liquid. The 1.0 mark is the
level when in distilled water. For the unit shown, the immersed volume in distilled water
is 15 cm
3
. The stem is 6 mm in diameter. Find the distance, b, from the 1.0 mark to the
surface when the hydrometer is placed in a nitric acid solution of specific gravity 1.5.



10. The uniform bean of size I by b by b and with specific weight y
b
, floats exactly on its
diagonal when a heavy uniform sphere is tied to the left corner. Show that this can only
happen (a) when y
b
= yS and (b) when the sphere has size
= _
Ibb
n(Su -1)
_
13
.




11. An inverted test tube partially filled with air floats in a plastic water-filled soft drink
bottle. The amount of air in the tube has been adjusted so that it just floats. The bottle cap
is securely fastened. A slight squeezing of the plastic bottle will cause the test tube to sink
to the bottom of the bottle. Explain this phenomenon.


12. A block of volume 0.025 m3 is allowed to sink in the water. A circular rod 5-m long and
20 cm
2
in cross section is attached to the weight and also to the wall. If the rod mass is
1.25 kg and the rod makes an angles of 12 degrees with the horizontal at equilibrium, what
is the mass of the block?