Buoyancy

PA

h
A

h
B

PB

Principle of Archimedes
Net force on the volume:

If the object is floating, V is the volume of the fluid displaced by the object.

Stability

Stability

three types of equilibrium:

in stable equilibrium will, if given a small

displacement and then released, return to its
original position.

If, on the other hand, the equilibrium is unstable the

body will not return to its original position but will
move further from it.

In neutral equilibrium, the body, having been given

a small displacement and then released, will neither
return to its original position nor increase its
displacement; it will simply adopt its new position.

Stability of submerged bodies

for a completely immersed body the condition

for stability is simply that G be below B.
If B and G coincide, neutral equilibrium is
obtained.

Stability of floating bodies

The stability of a floating body depends

on the coupling of the buoyancy force
and its own weight.
If the coupling gives favourable
moment (anti rolling moment), then the
body is stable.
But there is a more convenient way of
measuring the stability of a floating
body. (use metacentric height)
small angular displacement, the centre
of buoyancy shifts
M is called metacentre
GM is called metacentric height

The magnitude of the restoring couple (moment about M) is W(GM) sin and
the magnitude of GM therefore serves as a measure of the stability of a floating
body.

This differentiation between stability and nonstability can also be made by referring to the point
of intersection of the vertical axis (A-A) and the line of action of the buoyant force (B-B). This
point of intersection is known as the metacenter (mc). It is clear from observing (b) and (c) that
a floating body is stable if its CG is below the mc and unstable if its CG is above the mc.

O
A

CG

Fperturbance

O
M CG
+

W
B
The buoyancy force is distributed
equally on both sides.

CL
The buoyancy force on the right
side of the CG is larger than the
left sides. Note that the volume of
the liquid displaced by the object
on the right side of the CG (the
volume covered by the free
surface and CL) is also higher.
The result is a restoring moment
M is created about the CG.

+M
A

CG
CP

x tan()
x

xC

CP

FResultant

The extra buoyancy force on the right side of B-B line comes from the volume of
the liquid displaced (between the O-A line and free surface).

The centre of buoyancy B by definition corresponds to the centroid of the immersed volume
------(1)
Since

By substituting the equations into equation (1), yields

The length between the metacentre M and the original CP is:

Example
A uniform, closed cylindrical buoy, 1.5 m high, 1.0
m diameter and of mass 80 kg is to float with its
axis vertical in sea-water of density 1026 kgm 3. A
body of mass 10 kg is attached to the centre of
the top surface of the buoy. Show that, if the buoy
floats freely, initial instability will occur.

Solution