Bouyancy AND Flotation: Engr. Clainie Gay Labiste

BOUYANCY
AND
FLOTATION
ENGR. CLAINIE GAY LABISTE
WHENEVER A BODY IS PLACED OVER A LIQUID,
EITHER IT SINKS DOWN OR FLOATS ON THE LIQUID.
IT IS SUBJECTED TO THE FOLLOWING TWO FORCES :
GRAVITATIONAL FORCE AND
UPTHRUST OF THE LIQUID
IF THE GRAVITATIONAL FORCE IS MORE THAN THE

UPTHRUST OF THE LIQUID, THE BODY WILL SINK
DOWN. BUT IF THE GRAVITATIONAL FORCE IS LESS
THAN THE UPTHRUST OF THE LIQUID, THE BODY WILL
FLOAT.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xniW3_afO-0
Archimedes' Principle
THE ARCHIMEDES' PRINCIPLE STATES,'' WHENEVER A
BODY IS IMMERSED WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY IN A
FLUID. HIS BUOYED UP (I.E., LIFTED UP) BY A FORCE
EQUAL TO THE WEIGHT OF FLUID DISPLACED BY THE
BODY."
OR, IN OTHER WORDS, WHENEVER A BODY IS
IMMERSED WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY IN A FLUID, THE
RESULTANT FORCE ACTING ON IT, IS EQUAL TO THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE UPWARD PRESSURE OF
THE FLUID ON ITS BOTTOM AND THE DOWNWARD
FORCE DUE TO GRAVITY.
Water displacement
◼ We can use water displacement

to find the volume of objects
that are not boxed shaped.
◼ We can put water in a
graduated cylinder. If a rock
causes the level to rise from 7
to 9 ml, the the rock must have
a volume of 2-mL.
Buoyancy
 The tendency of a fluid to uplift a submerged
body, because of the upward thrust of the fluid,
is known as the force of buoyancy or simply
buoyancy.
 It is always equal to the weight of the fluid
displaced by the body.
 if the force of buoyancy is greater than the
weight of the body, it will be pushed up till the
weight of the fluid displaced is equal to the
weight of the body, and the body will float.
 But if the force of buoyancy is less than the
weight of the body, it will sink down.
Buoyancy is a force
The water in the pool

exerts an upward
force that acts in a
direction opposite to
the boy’s weight.
Volume and buoyancy
 The strength of the buoyant force on an

object in water depends on the volume of
the object that is underwater.
As you keep pushing downward on the ball, the

buoyant force gets stronger and stronger.
Centre of Buoyancy
The centre of buoyancy is the point, through which the
force of buoyancy is supposed to act. It is always the
centre of gravity of the volume of the liquid displaced.
In other words, the centre of buoyancy is the centre of
area of the immersed section.
Sinking and floating
These blocks are the same total volume.

Which block has more buoyant force acting on it?
Which block weighs more in air?
Why Did the Titanic Sink?
What Happened to the
Titanic? It was Archimedes’
Principle!
 The “unsinkable ship” was en route to
NYC in 1912
 On April 14, it struck an iceberg
 The collision ripped a huge hole in the
hull of the ship, causing the air filled
pockets to fill with water
 This added weight became greater
than the buoyant force supporting the
ship, so it sank. Rapidly.
 About 1500 lives were lost
EXAMPLE
Metacentre
Whenever a body, floating in a liquid, is given a small
angular displacement , it starts oscillating about some
point. This point, about which the body starts oscillating, is
called metacentre.
Metacentric Height
The distance between the centre of gravity of a body and
the metacentre (i.e., distance GM as shown in Figure) is
called metacentric height.
As a matter of fact, the metacentric height of a floating
body is a direct measure of its stability. Or in other
words, more the metacentric height of a floating body,
more it will be stable. In the modem design offices, the
metacentric height of a boat or ship is accurately
calculated to check its stability. Some values of
metacentric height are given below :
Merchant ships = up to 1m
Sailing ships = up to 1.5 m
Battle ships = up to 2 m
River craft = up to 3.5 m
Analytical Method for Metacentric
Height
Consider a ship floating freely in water. Let the ship be given a
clockwise rotation through a small angle θ (in radians). The
immersed section has now changed from acde to acd1e1.
THE ORIGINAL CENTRE OF BUOYANCY B HAS NOW
CHANGED TO A NEW POSITION B1. IT MAY BE NOTED
THAT THE TRIANGULAR WEDGE AOM HAS COME OUT OF
WATER, WHEREAS THE TRIANGULAR WEDGE OCN HAS
GONE UNDER WATER. SINCE THE VOLUME OF WATER
DISPLACED REMAINS DIE SAME, THEREFORE THE TWO
TRIANGULAR WEDGES MUST HAVE EQUAL AREAS.
A little consideration will show that as the triangular wedge
aom has come out of water, thus decreasing the force of
buoyancy on the left, therefore it tends to rotate the
vessel in an anti-clockwise direction about O. Similarly, as
the triangular wedge ocn has gone under water, thus
increasing the force of buoyancy on the right, therefore it
again tends to rotate the vessel in an anti-clockwise
direction. It is thus obvious, that these forces of buoyancy
will form a couple, which will tend to rotate the vessel in
anti-clockwise direction about O. If the angle (θ), through
which the body is given rotation, is extremely small, then
the ship may be assumed to rotate about M (i.e.,
metacentre).
Conditions of Equilibrium of a Floating Body
A body is said to be in equilibrium, when it remains in a
steady state, while floating in a liquid. Following are
the three conditions of equilibrium of a floating body :
1. Stable equilibrium
2. Unstable equilibrium
3. Neutral equilibrium.
Stable Equilibrium
A body is said to be in a stable equilibrium, if it

returns back to its original position, when given a
small angular displacement. This happens when the
metacentre (M) is higher than the centre of gravity
(G) of the floating body.
Unstable Equilibrium
A body is said to be in an unstable equilibrium, if it does not

return back to its original position and heels farther away,
when given a small angular displacement. This happens
when the metacentre (M) is lower than the centre of
gravity (G) of the floating body.
Neutral Equilibrium
A body is said to be in a neutral equilibrium, if it occupies
a new position and remains at rest in this new position,
when given a small angular displacement. This
happens when the metacentre (M) coincides with the
centre of gravity (G) of the floating body.
Maximum Length of a Vertically Floating Body
We see that a cube of wood (having specific

gravity less than 1) can float in water in any
position. If we maintain any two sides (say
breadth and thickness) of the cube constant and
go on increasing gradually the third side (say
length) and try to float the block vertically in
water, we see that the block can float vertically
in water up to some length. If we increase the
length of the block beyond this value, we find
that it cannot float vertically in water, though it
can float longitudinally.
 This maximum permissible length of the block,
floating vertically in water, may be found out by
keeping the body in stable equilibrium.
 Or in other words, this can also be found out by
avoiding the unstable equilibrium of the floating
body.
 For doing so, the metacentre (M) should be above
centre of gravity (G) of the floating body (a
condition of stable equilibrium)
 Or the metacentre (M) may coincide with the centre
of gravity (G) of the floating body (a condition of
neutral equilibrium. ie., by avoiding the unstable
equilibrium).
Conical Bodies Floating

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BOUYANCY

IF THE GRAVITATIONAL FORCE IS MORE THAN THE

◼ We can use water displacement

The water in the pool

 The strength of the buoyant force on an

As you keep pushing downward on the ball, the

These blocks are the same total volume.

A body is said to be in a stable equilibrium, if it

A body is said to be in an unstable equilibrium, if it does not

We see that a cube of wood (having specific

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