TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES

938 Aurora Boulevard Cubao, Quezon City

CE 402 – FLUID MECHANICS

DESIGN EXPERIMENT

STABILITY OF A FLOATING BODY

SUBMITTED BY:

Dawang, Joanne

De Leon, Alain Jake

Marin, John Dominic

Paglicawan, Jeric James

Posadas, Mark Lawrence

SUBMITTED TO:

Engr. Gerardo Ancheta

DATE:

October 2017
 Design Experiment

Stability of a Floating Body

Objective:

The activity aims to determine the stability of an object using the concept of floating bodies.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):

At the end of the activity the students shall be able to:

1. Explain the effect of floatation characteristics of altering the centre of gravity of

floating bodies.

2. To clearly understand the theory of the ability of the vessel to remain upright

3. To clearly determine the floatation characteristics for loaded and unloaded floating

bodies.

Discussion:

For figure a. is the center of gravity of the body is at 𝐺 and the center of buoyancy is at B.

For equilibrium, the weight of the floating body is equal to the weight of the liquid it displaces

and the center of gravity of the body and the centroid of the displaced liquid are in the same

vertical line. The centroid of the displaced liquid is called the "center of buoyancy" denoted is B.

Let the body now be heeled through an angle 𝜃 as shown in a subsequent figure, will be

the position of the center of buoyancy after heeling. A vertical line through 𝐵1 will intersect the

center line of the body at 𝑀and this point is known as the metacentre of the body when an angle

𝜃 is diminishingly small. The distance 𝐺𝑀 is known as the metacentric height. The force due to

buoyancy acts vertically up through 𝐵1 and is equal to 𝑊.

Stability of submerged objects

Stable equilibrium: when displaced, it returns to equilibrium position. If the center of

gravity is below the metacentre, a righting moment will produced and the body will tend to

return to its equilibrium position.

Unstable equilibrium: if when displaced it returns to a new equilibrium position. If the

center of gravity is above the metacentre, an overturning moment is produced and the body is

unstable.

Metacentre point 𝑀: the point about which the body starts oscillating.

Metacentric height 𝐺𝑀: is the distance between the center of gravity of floating body and

the metacentre. If 𝑀 lies above 𝐺 a righting moment is produced, equilibrium is stable and 𝐺𝑀

is regarded as positive. If 𝑀 lies below 𝐺 an overturning moment is produced, equilibrium is

unstable and 𝐺𝑀 is regarded as negative.

Determination of Metacentric height

1.Practically

𝑊𝐺𝑀𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝜃) = 𝑃𝑥

Px
𝐺𝑀 = Wsin(θ)

Where 𝑥 = distance from pontoon centerline to added

weight.

𝑊 = weight of the vessel including 𝑃.

2.Theoretically

𝐺𝑀 = 𝐵𝑀+𝑂𝐵 −𝑂𝐺

𝐼
𝐵𝑀 =𝑉

V
𝑂𝐵 = 0.5 b ×d

Where 𝑉 = volume of displaced liquid

𝑏𝑑3
𝐼 = 12

𝑉 = ℎ x 𝑏𝑑
Resources/Instruments Required:

 1 Clear Tank/Container

 1 Small Model of Pontoon (Floating Bodies)

 3 Moulded Clay

 1 Stick

 Water

 Scissor

 Double Sided Tape

 Pen

 Meter Stick

Procedure:

1. Assemble the pontoon and locate the center of gravity then attached the stick at the center

of the surface of the pontoon.

2. Weigh the pontoon with the stick attached.

3. Fill a 2/3 of water in the clear container and measure its depth (h), length and width.

Compute its volume.

4. Place the pontoon in the clear container and measure the new height of water. Calculate

the volume displaced

5. Mould the clay in spherical shape in 1.5 cm diameter and 7 cm height and weigh the

moulded clay.

6. Put the moulded clay on the stick at different distances from the bottom to top (as what

the data stated).Repeat the procedure no.4 with moulded clay at different elevation.

7. Observe the pontoon floating stability as the moulded clay attached at different elevation.
Laboratory Report:

Group No.: Section: CE41FB1

Date Performed: October 2, 2017 Date Submitted: October 13, 2017

Group Members:

Dawang, Joanne Paglicawan, Jeric James

De Leon, Alain Jake Posadas, Mark Lawrence

Marin, John Dominic

1. Data Results:

Weight of moulded clay (g) Distance of moulded clay Stable / Unstable

from the bottom of pontoon

(cm)

14.5 0 Stable

14.5 8 Stable, Tilting

14.5 16 Unstable

2. Observation/s:

We observe that as the moulded clay which serve as the load of the pontoon is nearer from

the bottom the floating stability of the pontoon is stable. As we put the moulded clay and

increasing its height from the bottom of the pontoon, the stability of the floating body, changes

and when it reaches the farthest distance of the load from the bottom. It fell over.
3. Analysis / Computations:

Computing for the volume displaced as tilting happened

L = 30cm

W = 15.4 cm

H1 = 7.5 cm

H2 = H3 = H4 = 7.8 cm

VD = Vf - Vi

Where:

VD - volume displaced

Vf - final volume (volume when the load was applied)

Vi - initial volume

Solution:

Vi = L x W x H1 = (30)(15.4)(7.5) Vf = L x W x H2 = (30)(15.4)(7.8)

Vi =3465 cm3 Vf = 3603.6 cm3

VD = 3603.6 - 3465

VD = 138.6 cm3
4. Source/s of Error:

 Human Error. Student might not be able to compute the center of gravity, volume

displaced, as well as the angle of titling because basically the instrument being used

doesn’t have accurate measurement and we only measure the angle, volume and center of

gravity manually.

 Instrument Error-Accuracy of Instrument. The instrument being used is just home-made

and doesn’t have accurate measurement. The instrument being used doesn’t deal with the

standard measuring device.

5. Conclusion

We conclude that as the center of the gravity changes as well as the center of

buoyancy the stability of the floating body changes. The center of gravity of the floating

bodies doesn’t change until the load was applied on the floating bodies (pontoon in the

case of this experiment),and as the center of gravity increases its position, the more the

floating bodies become unstable, since the center of gravity shifted from the bottom of

the metacentre to the top of the metacentre.

6. Documentation

Determination of container volume and weights of clay and the floating body
 1st Picture: the body was stable

2nd Picture: the body tilted but is still stable

3rd Picture: the body is at the point where it almost fell over
 Assessment (Rubric for Laboratory Performance):
CRITERIA BEGINNER ACCEPTABLE PROFICIENT SCORE
1 2 3
I. Laboratory Skills
Members do not Members always
Manipulative Members occasionally
demonstrate needed demonstrate needed
demonstrate needed
Skills skills. skills. skills.
Members are able to set- Members are able to
Experimental Members are unable to
up the materials with set-up the material with
Set-up set-up the materials.
supervision. minimum supervision.
Members do not Members occasionally Members always
Process Skills demonstrate targeted demonstrate targeted demonstrate targeted
process skills. process skills. process skills.
Safety Members follow safety Members follow safety
Members do not follow precautions most of the precautions at all
Precautions safety precautions.
time. times.
II. Work Habits
Time Members finish ahead
Members do not finish
Management / Members finish on time of time with complete
on time with incomplete
Conduct of with incomplete data. data and time to revise
data.
Experiment data.
Members do not know Members have defined Members are on tasks
their tasks and have no responsibilities most of and have defined
Cooperative defined responsibilities. the time. Group conflicts responsibilities at all
and Teamwork Group conflicts have to are cooperatively times. Group conflicts
be settled by the managed most of the are cooperatively
teacher. time. managed at all times.
Clean and orderly Clean and orderly
Messy workplace during
Neatness and workplace with workplace at all times
and after the
Orderliness occasional mess during during and after the
experiment.
and after the experiment. experiment.
Ability to do Members require Members do not need
Members require
independent occasional supervision to be supervised by the
supervision by the
work teacher. by the teacher. teacher.
Other Comments / Observations: TOTAL SCORE
RATING = ( TotalScore ) x
24
100%