Faculty of Engineering

Mechanical Engineering Department

Fluid Mechanics laboratory ENME 312

Experiment # 2
THE STABILITY OF A FLOATING BODY

Instructors :-
Dr. Afif Hassan
Eng. Yahia Madieh

Done By Group # 3 :-
Montaser Al Warasnah 1090789
Wagdy Qabaja 1090367
Hassan Rasheed 1091125

Date: 30 - 3- 2013

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Abstract :
The purpose of this experiment is to know the stability of a floating
body by calculate the met centric height (CM) of the body
experimentally and comparing this values with the theoretical value
that calculated from certain equation in this experiment.

Calculation done for titled a different s, so we plotting the

variation of the angle of tilt versus the position of the jockey weight for
each position of the adjustable weight. So after that we can use some
certain equation to the CM experimentally. After the calculation for
(CM ) we compare with the MG (the distance between the metacenter
and the body center of mass) , so we can know now if the body is
stable or not ,by MG is positive which mean( M above the G) so the
body is stable , and if negative (M below G). this mean the body is not
stable.

The results obtained from the experiment , say the value of CM

found experimentally is very close to the theoretical value. With some
difference causes from some error that faced in this experiment .

CM (theoretical) = 8.35 cm
CMexp (avg) = 8.03 cm

Objectives of experiment :

1.To find the position of the center of gravity, when the equilibrium is
stable, unstable or neutral.
2. To determine the stability of the floating bodies.
3. To find the relation between stability and the center of gravity of
floating body.
4. To determine the metacentric height (CM) and compare it with the
theoretical value.

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Calculations :
Sample calculations :

Note : All of our calculations are for the first run.

To calculate the constant (A): ,that use to find the height of

G above base of the body.

Where:

: The height of G above base of the body. .

: The height of adjustable weight above the base.

A: Constant determined from the first measurement .

In this experiment we find that =9.2cm, and y1=30.5cm.

Thus 0.092 = ( 0.305/5.2 ) + A
A = 0.0333 3.33 cm m = 3.33 cm

To calculate the CM theoretically :

CM th =BM CB
Where :
CM : is the meta-centric height in mm.
BM: is the distance from the meta-center to the center of buoyancy
in mm.
CB: is the distance from the center of buoyancy to the water surface
in mm.
CB=0.5Depth of immersion
V W 2.6 3 3
Depth of mersion= , But V = = =2.610 m
LD 998.2
Where:
W: is the weight of assembly = 2.6 kg
L: is the length of pontoon = 360 mm = 0.36 m

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 D: is the breadth of pontoon = 206 mm = 0.206 m
: is the density of water = 998.2 kg/m3

2.6103
Dept h of immersion= =0.035 m
0.360.206

CB=0.50.035=0.0175 m=1.75 cm
I
BM =
V

where :

1 1
I= L D3= 0.360.2063 =2.62104 m4
12 12

2.62104
BM = =0.1008 m=10 . 1cm
2.6103

CM th =BM CB

CM th =10.11.75=8 .35 cm

To calculate the CM experimentally :

CM exp =GM +CG

Where :
CG : is the height of G above water surface in mm. It is given by:
VL
CG= y
D
Where ,
V
Depth of immersion=
LD

GM: is the distance from the center of gravity to the meta-center in

mm. It is given by:

dx
W
GM =
d
Where:
Jockey weight () = 0.2 kg
Total weight of assembly (w) = 2.6 kg
dx/d: is the gradient of stability in cm/degree.

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Where:
dx/d for first trial = 1/ slope of Figure (2) = 1/ 1.519 = 0.658
cm/degree

dx
W 0.2
GM = = 0.658=0.0506 cm
d 2.6
VL 2.61030.36
CG= y =0.092 =0.0875m=8.75 cm
D 0.206

CM exp=GM +CG=0.0506+8.75=8.80 cm

CM avg=8.03 cm

Results :
Tabulated Results
Table (1): shows the calculations of the CM and the constant A.

Run y1 y A dx /d GM CG CM exp
# (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm/degree) (cm) (cm) (cm)
1 30.5 9.20 0.050
3.33 0.658 6 8.75 8.80
2 27.0 0.062
8.22 3.03 0.816 8 7.77 7.83
3 24.0 0.073
7.84 3.22 0.951 2 7.38 7.45

Graphical Results :

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f(x) =
R = 0 Angle of tilt VS. Jockey weight position
10
8
f(x) = 1.23x + 1.16
f(x)
R ==611.05x + 1.14 Y1=30.5 cm
R =41
Linear (Y1=30.5 cm)
2
Y1=27 cm
Angle of tilt (degree) 0
Linear (Y1=27 cm)
-10 -5 -2 0 5 10
Y1=24 cm
-4
Linear (Y1=24 cm)
-6
-8
-10

Jockey weight position x (cm)

Figure (1): shows the relation between the Angles of the tilt
VS. the jockey weight position for all trials .

Angle of tilt VS. Jockey weight position

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f(x) = 1.52x + 1.33

R = 15
Y1=30.5 cm
Angle of tilt (degree) 0
Linear (Y1=30.5 cm)
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6
-5

-10

Jockey weight position x (cm)

Figure (2): shows the relation between the angles of the tilt
.VS. the jockey weight position when y1 = 30.5 cm.

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 Angle of tilt VS. Jockey weight position
10
f(x) = 1.23x + 1.16
R = 51

Y1=27 cm
Angle of tilt (degree) 0
Linear (Y1=27 cm)
-10 -5 0 5 10
-5

-10

Jockey weight position x (cm)

Figure (3): shows the relation between the angles of the tilt
.VS. the jockey weight position when y1 = 27 cm.

Angle of tilt VS. Jockey weight position

10

f(x) =5 1.05x + 1.14

R = 1
Y1=24 cm
Angle of tilt (degree) 0
Linear (Y1=24 cm)
-10 -5 0 5 10
-5

-10

Jockey weight position x (cm)

Figure (4): shows the relation between the angles of the tilt
.VS. the jockey weight position when y1 = 24 cm.

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 dx/d .VS. The hight CG
1.0

0.9 f(x) = - 0.2x + 2.44

R = 0.96

0.8
dx/d (cm/degree)

0.7

0.6
7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0

CG (cm)

Figure (5): shows the relation between the dx/d .VS. the
CG ,which may be acceptable.

Discussion of Results :
A body may float in stable, unstable, or neutral equilibrium. Any
floating object with center of gravity below its center of buoyancy
floats in stable equilibrium. Certain floating objects, however, are in
stable equilibrium when their center of gravity is above the center of
buoyancy, as it is the case in this experiment.

We noticed from this experiment many thing ,such as from table (1)
as the adjustable weight moves downward (y 1 decrease) , the center
of gravity of the system also moves downward and so(Y' decrease) .
This happened because most of the weight is concentrated upward
towards the adjustable weight.

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 We said we can know now if the body is stable or not ,by MG is
positive which mean( M above the G) so the body is stable , and if
negative (M below G). this mean the body is not stable, and in this
experiment GM = CM-CG , but we noticed from table (1) the value of
CM is greater than CG for all trial which mean the value of GM is
positive ,so the body (pontoon) in this experiment was stable .

Note that GM = (w/W)*(dx/d), if the gradient of stability line (dx/d)

is positive, CG is also positive (Figure 5) and less than CM so, the
system is in neutral equilibrium. The height after which the system will
be unstable is obtained when M lies on G, i.e. CM=CG or dx/d=0 this
will happen when CG=8.03 cm. If CG is increased more, the system will
be unstable and an overturning moment is produced.

If we change the liquid the pontoon float and it will affect the
stability, since, for example; if a liquid is used instead of water and it
has density greater than the density of water then CB decreases since
it is proportional to 1/ and so CM decreases thus less stability for the
floating body is obtained. From CB = 0.5 Depth of immersion
= 0.5 ( V / LD )
But V =W/
When we compare between experimental values of CM with the
theoretical ones, we noticed a small difference between the two values
, that obtained from the errors in this experiment which summaries
below .

Sources of errors:

Error for reading the values of the angle of tilt.

The plumb bob was not flexible enough.
The controlling in the valve is not exactly.

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 The jockey weight may not be put exactly in its center so there
was a small angle of tilt.

Conclusions :

The resultant force exerted on a body by a static fluid in which it is

submerged or floating is called the buoyant force. The buoyant force
always acts vertically upward. There can be no horizontal component
of the resultant because the projection of the submerged portion of the
floating body on a vertical plane is always zero.

The buoyant force on a submerged body is the difference between

the vertical component of pressure force on its underside and the
vertical component of pressure force on its upper side.

The meta-centric height is a property of the cross section for the

given weight, and its value gives an indication of the stability of the
body. For a body of varying cross section and draft, such as ship, the
computation of meta-center can be very involved; moreover, two or
more stable positions a body of irregular shape may has.

Engineers must design ships and other floating bodies to avoid

floating instability. Many other applications are performed using the
principle of buoyant force such as a hydrometer, which is used in labs
to determine relative densities of liquids.

References:
Frank M .White , Fluid Mechanics , sixth edition.
Fluid Lab manual.

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